


MCSM | Soldiers of Fortune

by MinishMae



Category: MCSM, Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft Story Mode, Minecraft: Story Mode - Fandom
Genre: Angst, At least in later chapters that is, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friendship/Love, Gay Sex, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, NSFW, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Sexual Humor, Slurs, There will be warnings -w-, everyone dies, sex scene
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-01-27 20:22:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 57,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12589836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinishMae/pseuds/MinishMae
Summary: Sky City is one of the biggest cities in the world; and is home to many job opportunities if you look in the right places! However, it is also home to some of the worst criminals imaginable. When Jesse and his friends move into a penthouse in the city, they think they're in for the time of their life!However, they'll soon come to realize that this city is not all it's cracked up to be. When they come face to face with two of the city's dangerous mercenaries, they know they're in for a ride.[This is a Mercenary AU created by myself and my friend, EnchantedArchitect]





	1. Welcome to Sky City!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm putting one big ***TRIGGER WARNING*** here at the beginning. This story is definitely not for everyone. Unless you can handle the mature themes and don't mind these characters being ruined forever, don't read this. This is your one and only warning!

_I didn’t realize how fucked we were until we met them that day._

_My name is Lukas, and recently my four friends and I moved into a nice penthouse in Sky City. All five of us came from nothing; we lived in a small village far away from this city, and we were small town people. Now, we decided to turn all of our lives around and try to make something of ourselves. There’s a lot to do in Sky City, and there’s so much to be seen._

_Little did we know that Sky City is notorious for one thing; it’s crime. It doesn’t matter where you are in Sky City; you could be in the nicest part of the city, or you could be in the shady part of the city-- no matter where you are, you need to watch your ass at all times._

_With all this crime, you think that the police would be on top of it all, but Sky City is just too big for the police to cover. That’s where the mercenaries come in. They’re kinda like the police, except they do things their own way. Most mercenaries do their dirty work for money, they want to be able to profit in some way. If they can get rich out of killing a guy, by god they’ll do it. The police honestly want the mercenaries out of their city, but I think they should be grateful. All these gangs and mafias forming in this city; the ones that the police aren’t getting, it’s all thanks to the mercenaries that they’re getting taken care of._

_How do I know all of this? Well, it’s actually a really funny story. You see, Jesse and I are actually mercenaries ourselves now. It wasn’t always like this, though. When we moved to Sky City, we were two kids trying to find our way in the world. That was when we met them. They turned our lives upside down; but I wouldn’t have it any other way._

_My name is Lukas, and I didn’t realize how fucked we were until Jesse and I met Soren and Ivor._  
\---

The five of us stood in the elevator, all of us impatient to see our new home. Jesse held the key to our new apartment and I could see the look of happiness in Axel and Olivia’s eyes. Petra also looked excited, though she could be hard to read sometimes. This was it, it was finally happening. We had all talked about getting an apartment together when we were younger, but we didn’t think this plan would actually follow through.  
The elevator stopped at one of the top floors and we walked off, looking at the hallway before us. Glass windows aligned the cityscape and the glistening towers were definitely a sight to behold. As cheesy as it sounds, it honestly felt like I was in Hollywood, even though I knew I was far, far away from ever being there. Still, being able to leave here felt so surreal. 

Jesse led us to our new home and opened the sliding door with his key. All of us couldn’t believe our eyes. our new apartment was gorgeous! The walls were made of glass panes and offered quite a view; you could see for miles. There was a deck on the outside of our home, with several tables and to my surprise, there was even a hot tub. How were we able to score so fuckin’ good on this penthouse. 

“This place is amazing, Jesse!” Olivia exclaimed. She walked into the house and stretched, “There’s so much room!” 

“Nice job, Jesse,” Petra said, “It’s not too shabby. I like it.” 

While those two looked around at our new home, Axel crossed his arms and looked around confused. 

“Is anybody else noticing the lack of furniture though? I thought this place was going to be furnished.” he said a bit angrily. 

I looked at Axel and nodded, “That’s true. So we just dropped a lot of money for nothing.” 

“Well, at least we have sleeping bags. They’ll have to do.” Petra replied. 

“Guys, aren’t you forgetting? We still have quite a lot of money. Lukas and I can go check out the stores and see what kind of furniture there is.” Jesse explained. 

“That could work.” Olivia replied, “Do you want one of us to go with you guys?” 

“We’ll be fine!” Jesse replied, “You guys just stay here and … try to imagine our beautiful home when it’s all furnished.” 

“Any kind of style we’re going for?”I asked. 

“Nothing too flashy,” Olivia said, “Maybe we could have a regal, red look to our place.”  
“Aw, but Olivia, I like flashy …” Axel replied.  
Petra laughed and looked at her friends, “It’s up to you two. You’re the one’s doing the searching. You know what we like, we’ll leave it up to you.” 

With a nod, we were off! Hopefully, we’d be able to find some things that everyone liked. Not too flashy, maybe a little fancy, but also comfortable things. What’s the point in having a $2000 couch if it’s gonna be rock hard and not comfortable at all? Either way, I’m sure with my taste, and Jesse’s knowledge, we could find something that everyone would like. 

\---

This city is fucking huge. We’ve spent at least three hours looking at different stores and all we find are stupid souvenirs. How are there no places to buy beds and shit here?! I’ll be damned if we moved all the way here and we have to sleep on the fucking floor. 

I shifted my hands into my pockets and mumbled, “This is bullshit …” 

“Come on, Lukas, stay positive!” Jesse exclaimed, “We haven’t even seen half of the city yet. We’ll find something soon!” 

“Exactly, Jesse, we haven’t seen half of the city! We haven’t even seen ¼ of it, yet! It’s getting late and I really don’t wanna be out after dark …” 

“That’s why I bring a pocket knife with me,” Jesse said, pulling a small switchblade knife out of his pocket, “if someone were to ever jump us, he’d be met with a nasty swipe of this thing.” 

“I wish you wouldn’t carry that around …” I replied, “You know I don’t like it when Petra is swinging around weapons, now you too?” 

“Relax, dude. I’ll only use it in case of an emergency. Besides, it’s Sky City- anything can happen at any time, and I wanna be cautious.” 

“Fair enough, I suppose.” 

We walked for a little bit longer, and eventually, to both of our surprise, we found a bit furniture store. It’s about time, my legs were beginning to kill me. Upon walking in, we were astonished to see how big this place really was. Mattresses, couches, beautiful tables, this place had everything! I could already tell Jesse and I were going to drop a shit ton of money in here. But, so long as we made everyone happy, I guess it didn’t matter. We could alway get real jobs instead of depending on Petra selling drugs. 

“Ok, so what do you think they’d like?” Jesse asked. 

I shrugged, honestly, I didn’t really know what everyone’s style was. If it were up to Axel, we’d have fucking bombs and dynamite hanging from the roof like chandeliers. 

“I dunno, you know everyone better than I do.” I explained, “Though, I kind of agree with Olivia- red furniture would look pretty sweet.” 

“Alright, then, let’s get search-” 

And at that moment, from the front of the store, we heard gunfire. And let me tell you, I was about ready to shit my pants. Screams could be heard coming from all over the store, and gunshots echoed in the building. I looked at Jesse desperately, unsure of what to do. Should we run? Should we hide? Whatever we were doing, we had to do it fast. 

Before I knew it, Jesse grabbed hold of my arm and forced me to run. Here we were, running through a store, caught in the panic of other customers, with gunmen probably right behind us. Jesse finally stopped by a bed that had sheets draped over it. He lifted it up and we crawled underneath. This was fun when we were kids, but now, it was cramped and I felt like I was going to have a heart attack at any moment. 

Swears could be heard throughout the store, and the gunfire started getting rapid at one point. I felt like someone was going to randomly start shooting and nail Jesse or I in the head. The gunfire had stopped, and we waited for a bit before Jesse peered his head out. He told me the coast was clear, but suddenly, I heard footsteps and tugged his ass back under the bed. If I had to return back to everyone and tell them Jesse was dead, I’d never be able to forgive myself. 

The sound of heels clicked against the floor as well as wave after wave of profanity from what sounded like two men. I was shaking. Please, please don’t let them find us. They sounded like bad news, and I just wanted to make it out of here alive. When their footsteps died out, Jesse looked at me with pleading eyes. 

“Lukas, we need to make a run for the exit.” he said in a very quiet whisper. 

I felt my chest tense up and I felt like I would start sobbing at any moment. I knew if I did that, we would alert the shooters. So, I quietly nodded and we peered out from under the bed. The coast was finally clear. He crawled out from underneath and stayed low to the ground as to not be spotted. As we walked, we saw dead bodies lining the store. It was horrifying. I felt like I was going to be sick. After a few minutes of walking through the store, the exit was in our sight! It was so far away though! 

I was about to make a dash for it, but Jesse yanked me back, hard. 

“Dude, if you keep doing that you’re gonna tear my arms off!” I whispered back angrily. 

“Shh! Look!” Jesse exclaimed, pointing past me. 

He was pointing to two people walking away from the exit. It was hard to make them out, but one had long black hair and the other looked like a redhead. The black haired man was garbed in a long red dress and the other man in a black suit. One held a rifle and the other held a pistol. Those two must have been the shooters! 

“Oh god, I said quietly, “How are we going to get out of here …” 

“We’re going to have to make a run for it-” Jesse explained. 

“Jesse, I don’t think I can-.” I replied, about to break down. 

“You have to! We can make it!” Jesse peered behind the shelf and didn’t see the people anymore. 

“Where the Hell did they go …?” Jesse asked. 

Suddenly, before I knew it, my legs gave out beneath me as I felt something trip me. I let out a cry as I took Jesse down with me. I felt the sharp pain of someone standing on my back, the fact that this person was wearing heels didn’t make matters any better. 

“Ivor, they’re just kids.” the redhead said angrily. 

“For all we know, they could have been helping that gang. I don’t think we should let them live, Soren.” the one called Ivor replied. 

“You’re fucking paranoid.” the one called Soren added. 

“Maybe I fucking am. We’ve been after those fuckers for a long time, and I’ll be damned if I let their accomplices get away!” 

This was it. I was dead. I’m dead. Jesse’s dead too. These guys are gonna kill us. It’s over. We’re done for. 

I felt Jesse’s gaze on me as I started breaking down. As much as I hated him seeing me like this, I could literally care less right now. We’re about to fucking die. I have the right to have a mental breakdown. Suddenly, I felt the person lift their foot off of my back. I shakily looked up at the man and Jesse quickly grabbed my hand and forced me to stand up, Before we could get anywhere, the black haired man shot the floor next to us. 

“Hey, don’t move! Stay put!” he yelled. 

“We weren’t with the shooters!” Jesse cried. “We were fucking customers!” 

“Jesse, shut up!” I whispered loudly. “They’re the shooters!!” 

The black haired man seemed insulted. “Us? Shooters? You insult me, Blonde Guy. We were stopping the shooting.” 

“Though you took too fucking long, Ivor. Now everyone’s dead.” Soren interrupted. 

“Would you fuck off??” Ivor replied angrily. 

“Look, we’re not with them. We came by to get some furniture for our new apartment. We just want to get back to our friends unscathed. Can you let us go?” 

Ivor let out a laugh, “I’m not gonna kill you.” 

I felt the pain in my chest vanish and I let out a massive sigh of relief. I felt like I was going to start crying from happiness. 

“Oh, wait, yes I am-” suddenly Ivor took aim at me and I cringed, waiting for that instantaneous pain to hit me. 

“Ivor, stop messing with them. You scared the fuck out of them already. Just let the kids go.” Soren said. 

“It’s fun messing around with them. This blonde guy needs to lighten up and have a good time.” he put down his gun and motioned us away with his other hand, “Alright, you can leave. But don’t think I’ve got my eye on you. If I see you anywhere near shootings again, I’m coming after your asses.” 

I didn’t care what that guy had to say, I fucking bolted out of that store. Jesse came after me and we were fucking gone. I wanted to get as far away from those two as possible. When we were a good 10 minutes away from that store, I dropped to my knees, about ready to collapse from exhaustion. Jesse leaned against the wall next to me, also exhausted from running. 

“That … that black haired guy …” Jesse said, gasping for air, “Ivor, I think his name was …” 

“Wh- what about him ... ?” I asked. 

“That dress didn’t go with his eyes …” Jesse replied. I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, but I didn’t want any of that right now. 

I stood up and faced him, “How can you joke like that when so many people just died?!” 

“I’m just trying to make you feel better … you don’t think that I thought it was messed up? I was scared shitless, Lukas.” 

I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I started sobbing, right then and there. I felt Jesse wrap me in a hug. At that point, I knew we messed up. I didn’t want to live in Sky City anymore. I wanted go back home to our old village. Not only did we almost just die, but I was also starting to feel a little homesick. 

“That was … really fucking scary …” I sobbed, “Jesse, I don’t know if I can live here …” 

“We need to try to make the most of it, Lukas. This city is a scary place, and we did almost die, but …” Jesse sighed and shook his head, “I don’t know … maybe you’re right. I don’t want to see you or the others get hurt. I thought this would be fun, but we’re in way over our heads …” 

“If you really think about it, everywhere is just as dangerous. Even our village was dangerous at times … I guess we just have to work around everything going on here.”

I stepped back from the hug and pulled myself together. I was the one who wanted to move to Sky City and influenced everyone to join me. I wasn’t going to let this scare me away. I’m going to make my dreams a reality and some old men pretending to be police officers aren’t going to stop me. 

“You feeling better?” Jesse asked. 

“No, not really, “I replied, “I’m really shaken up. Let’s just go home …” 

Just as I had expected, everyone was pissed that we didn’t order any furniture, so we’d have to go longer without getting beds. And the furniture store we were at would probably have to be shut down for a while due to everything that happened. Well, you know what? The others can eat my entire ass. That was fucking scary. Now, Jesse and I need to look for another store and hopefully that one doesn’t get shot up as well. 

And most importantly, I hope we don’t run into those two again. As much as they say they aren’t shooters, they seem like awful people and I really want to stay as far away from them as possible. 

… At least that’s what I had thought. Then we met them again a week later …


	2. A Job Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse goes out walking in the city and comes face to face with the mercenary he had met several days prior. He expects the worst, but instead, Soren does something Jesse never saw coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a pretty slow chapter, but it's still important to see Soren's personality here~

It took a while, but we finally managed to get the furniture delivered to our new home. Lukas was right, the store had to be shut down for the time being so the police could investigate and clean up what had happened. We eventually found a new store, and now our place is looking amazing to say the least! We’ve only been here a week, and yet, I really am starting to like it here. Yes, there is a massive amount of crime in this city, and yes, Lukas and I almost died the other day … but the city can’t be all that bad. We all came here to start over and make something of our lives, and that’s just what we’re going to do. 

One morning, while everyone was still getting themselves up, I slipped out of our apartment and went for a walk. I wanted to see more of this city. I had my trusty pocket knife on me in case anybody tried anything. I didn’t feel like bringing the others, especially Lukas. I’m sure he’s still shaken up from what happened. To be completely honest, so am I … 

I still remember seeing those dead bodies in the warehouse. I still think about how if we hadn’t hidden, those bodies could very well have been Lukas and I. I also recalled the two men that killed the shooters. As much as I’d hate to say it, they very well could have saved us. Lukas believes they were with the shooters, and I don’t blame him. Those two seemed really fucking psychotic. But, at the very least, they did let us go. The one with the black hair didn’t kill us like he said he was. Yeah, they were joking about the whole killing us thing, but you don’t say that to a couple of kids. It’s fucked up. 

I shook away those negative feelings. It’s ok. Lukas and I are alive and that’s all that matters. We came here to better ourselves, and we need to follow Olivia, Axel, and Petra’s lead and actually do something with our time here. This city is huge! There has to be something we can do. Some kind of profession that we could benefit from. 

As I thought to myself, I kept my head down, staring at the cracked sidewalk beneath me. I didn’t want to make any unnecessary eye contact with anyone, just in case they were insane. I kept my hands in my pockets, ready to grab my knife at a moment’s notice, and I kept my head down. Stick to those rules if you wanna survive in Sky City. However, because I kept my head down, I didn’t notice someone walk by me and accidently bumped into him. 

I turned to him, my grip on my knife tightening. I forced a smile at the man who had his head turned away from me. 

“S-sorry, sir!” I choked, “I didn’t mean to bump into you. I should’ve paid attention to where I was going. Excuse me.” 

I wanted to get out of there. He didn’t once turn around to look at me. He was probably thinking about revenge at this very moment. He would shoot me in the back and that’d be it. Welcome to Sky City. That was the worst idea that popped into my head. Then the man turned to me and a lump formed in my throat. I couldn’t swallow. I was terrified. 

It was one of the men from a few nights ago. Staring at me right in the eyes. I couldn’t tell what his emotions were. Anger? Wonder? Did he remember who I was? I remembered who he was. 

The redhead finally faced me, and I felt my stomach somersault inside of me. Would it be too late to make a run for it? My eyes darted to the pistol inside his belt loop. I’d be dead before I could even make it five feet away. I sat there shaking as he looked over me. 

“You’re the kid from the shoot up.” he said. 

I stayed silent. If I talked, I’d just start stuttering and make a complete fool of myself. Or I’d just break down sobbing. Either one totally works. 

“So, you been to any other shoot ups that I just don’t know about? Or was it just pure coincidence that we found you there?” the redhead joked. 

I let out a laugh, but I didn’t want to. Perhaps if I played along, he wouldn’t kill me. 

“Shit, kid, lighten up. I didn’t think Ivor and I scared you that much.” he finally said, showing a little bit of sympathy. 

“Your friend, Ivor is it? He threatened to kill my friend and I. We were terrified.” I finally spoke, choking out my words. 

“Yes, well, Ivor has a dark sense of humor. He’ll joke about killing you-- but he won’t actually do it. Why would he want to kill a couple of kids anyway? He may be an asshole, but he wouldn’t kill kids.” 

“He’s psychotic.” I mumbled. 

“What gave you that idea? The heels or the dress?” the redhead laughed, “Nah, he’s cool. Hell, we do a better job at cleaning up crime in this fucking city than the police do.” 

“You said, you take care of the crime in this city. Is that why you showed up at the warehouse the other night?” I asked. 

“No, kid, we just prance around the city, smelling the roses. Of course that’s why we showed up. We listen in on the police’s radio and beat them to the crime scene. But, we need to clear it out quick. If Milo and Reginald were to catch us two, ha, we’d be in some deep shit.” 

“Milo and Reginald?” I asked. I hated talking to this guy so casually, but what he was saying was really piquing my interest. 

“They’re the head of the police in this city. They follow under strict order from Isa, the mayor of Sky City. What they don’t understand is that Ivor and I are handling the crime in this city better than those assholes ever could. The thing is, what we’re doing isn’t exactly legal so to speak.” he explained. 

“So why do you do it? If it’s illegal, and the police are after you- Why do you risk your asses to help this city? You two honestly don’t seem like the kind of people to do that.” 

“We’re mercenaries, kid. We’ll do whatever someone needs us to, for the right price. We don’t work for free after all. As for this shitty city, the crime will never end here. There’s always going to be someone coming to us for help with some petty squabble. That’s when Ivor and I go in, guns blazing, and then we get our reward.” 

“Sounds like a tough life to live …” I said a bit sadly. 

“It is. But it’s our life. I wouldn’t change it for anything. Life can be pretty shitty sometimes kid. Everyday I’m terrified that Ivor or I will lose our lives. It’s dangerous, but it’s exhilarating at the same time. You learn to laugh it off and eventually none of the bullshit you do phases you anymore.” 

“I don’t think I could ever be like that.” I said a bit quietly, hoping he wouldn’t hear me. 

“Huh, well I think you would make a fine mercenary, kid. You’d just need some training. You know, I was just like you when I was younger. Naive, stupid, and a wimp.” 

I looked away as he insulted me, rolling my eyes a bit. He was literally sitting here insulting me. Thanks, dude. 

“Both Ivor and I were. But we got our acts together and now we kick this city’s ass to the curb. We rule this city, kid. In exchange for keeping this city safe, we get money and riches. Not a bad deal if I do say so myself. This could be you, given the right training in this field.” 

“I don’t know … I don’t think I could kill so many innocent people …” I replied. 

“Innocent?” he laughed at my reply, “Kid, no, they’re not innocent. The people we are hired to kill are bloodthirsty killers. We kill gangs, and mafia groups, we weed out the cancer that this city has holed up. While the police are taking their sweet ass time getting to the bottom of all this crime, Ivor and I are two steps ahead of them, already taking care of it.” 

“I guess I never really looked at it like that …” I said, a bit hopeful. Maybe these guys weren’t as bad as I anticipated. 

“I like you, kid. What’s your name?” he asked 

“Uh, Jesse …” I replied, “My friend’s name is Lukas, the one from the other day.” 

“Jesse and Lukas, huh?” he closed his eyes and snickered, “Yeah, you two will do. If you two are looking for a job, Ivor and I can saddle you up with a sweet deal. The name’s Soren, by the way.” 

“I’ll consider it.” I said with a smile on my face, “How will I know where to find you though?” 

Soren reached into his back pocket and handed me a small card. It was a black card with white font on it spelling out the name of an address and the name of the business. In the corner was a picture of a pistol and a rose. 

“Go to that address. You’ll find us there. Whether you and your friend want to train with us, that’s up to you. If you need any help with people threatening you, you also know who to get a hold of.” Soren explained. 

“Th-thank you!” I exclaimed. “I’ll be sure to tell Lukas about it. 

“One things for sure, kid, you’ve got the energy and wit about you. We cleared out that whole warehouse and never saw you. In the heat of a fight, you need to be light on your feet and need to stay concealed. You did that no problem. You have the works of a mercenary.” 

“Thank you, Soren!” I replied. 

“No problem, kid. I’ll be seeing you.” he tapped the card with his finger that I held in my hand, “we’ll be waiting for you.” 

He walked off and I turned away about ready to scream. I was offered a job out of the blue! Sure, it’s a pretty illegal job, but I mean if Petra can just sell drugs for money, then Lukas and I can do this for money. Things were finally starting to look up! 

\--- 

“Jesse, that’s great!” Olivia cheered, “I knew you’d find a job.” 

“Yeah, it was pretty much given to me. This guy I met up with said that I had the works to do this. Though, the training seems a bit hard, I’m sure I can do it. They also wanted Lukas in on it too.” I explained. 

Upon hearing his name, Lukas perked up and walked over to me. 

“Who wanted me in on what?” he asked a bit cautiously, walking over to me. 

“You remember the two men from the other night, right?” I asked him.

“You mean the ones that nearly killed us?” he asked a bit angrily, “Yes, I remember them.” 

“Well, the redhead guy, Soren, he offered us a job!” 

Olivia and Axel were a bit taken back by the conversation and Lukas’ eyes widened. 

“Jesse, Hell no.” Lukas said angrily, “I’m not going to work for people who threatened to kill me! That’s just not happening!” 

“We were totally wrong about them though!” I exclaimed. 

Olivia grabbed hold of my hand and held mine in hers, “Jesse, as much as I am excited that you were offered a job, this seems really, really dangerous. How do you know these men can be trusted?” 

I yanked my hand away and shook my head, “I talked with one of them today and he explained what they were doing there. Lukas, they were telling the truth. They weren’t shooters at all. They showed up when the police couldn’t and they took care of the crime scene. Ivor wasn’t really going to hurt us-- he just has a sick sense of humor-”

“Oh, now you’re calling them by name?” Lukas asked, “Jesse, maybe you can forgive people this easily, but I can’t! Not since what happened with Aiden.” 

“But, Aiden isn’t like these two. Aiden was a total jackass. These people are actually offering us a job, Lukas! A job! Do you know how long it would be to actually try and find one in this city? Sometimes you gotta take chances.” 

“Whatever, Jesse. I can’t talk to you right now.” Lukas said, storming off to his room. 

I looked over at Axel and Olivia and they sighed. 

“Dude, I’m glad you might have gotten this job, but you need to be careful.” Axel said, “Though, I myself am one for thrills, don’t go getting yourself killed.” 

“I won’t. I just don’t want to go into this alone. I really think Lukas would love this job if he gave it a chance.” 

“You should talk to him about it.” Olivia suggested, “I’m sure he wants to believe it, but you guys had a rough time the other day …” 

“I will.” I replied, “Thanks for being understanding guys.” 

“We’re your best friends, Jesse. We want you to be happy and find your way. We’ll always be here to help in any way we can.” 

I nodded to them and went off to find Lukas who was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked really upset. 

“Lukas, can I come in, please?” I said quietly. 

He shrugged and I walked in, closing the door behind me. I sat on the bed next to him and showed him the card Soren gave me. 

“I met Soren on the streets today. He seemed really sincere with everything he was saying and I think he and Ivor can truly give us a job. You need to trust me, Lukas.” 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Jesse, I don’t trust them!” he exclaimed, “How do I know they aren’t luring us into a trap?” 

“What would they possibly want with two dead kids?” I asked, “No one knows us in the city yet, except for those two. Soren seems like a really nice guy, once you get past the whole killing thing.” 

“And the fact that he and Ivor are complete and utter jackasses.” Lukas added. 

“Well, yeah, they can be hard asses, but wouldn’t you be too after spending so much time in this city? Listen, Lukas, they don’t kill innocent people. In a way, they’re like cops-- they go around and kill gangs and robbers and shit. They don’t kill innocent bystanders.” 

“Except what they’re doing is highly illegal …” Lukas said sadly. 

“Well, yeah …” I rubbed the back of my head and sighed. This conversation seemed to be going nowhere. 

“I don’t know Jesse. I don’t know if I want to do an illegal job. I don’t feel like spending the rest of my time in prison.” 

“But we’ll be getting trained by the best, Lukas. Ivor and Soren will be training us.” 

“Did they even say what they were training us for? What’s the job entail?” Lukas asked. 

I smiled, “They want us to be their apprentices, I’m guessing. They’ll train us to be mercenaries, just like them.” 

Lukas groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed, rubbing his face. “Jesus Christ …” he groaned. 

“I think we can do it. The training will be hard, I’m sure, and we’ll have a lot of toughening up to do, but I think we can do it!” I said. 

Lukas sighed, “Whatever, Jesse. Let’s go be mercenaries.” 

I was so happy with his response that I flopped on top of him to give him a big hug. I wrapped my arms around him, but I felt Lukas squirming beneath me to break free for some air. 

“Thank you, Lukas!” I exclaimed, “I promise this will all be worth it!” 

“That’s great, Jesse,” he pat my back, “but could you please get off of me? You’re putting all your weight on me, man …” 

And so, within the next few days we would head over to the address that was on Soren’s card. We would see what those two had to say to us and we would sure enough begin training with them. Little did we both know that the training was grueling and difficult at times. Putting up with Soren and Ivor’s bickering would be the end of us, and we didn’t know of all the weird shit we were getting into by doing this. 

Maybe this was a bad idea, after all …


	3. Gabriel's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Lukas show up at the office of Ivor and Soren and are introduced to one of their accomplices. The world of Mercenaries sure is full of a lot of colorful characters ...

Lukas followed behind me on our way to the address which had been stated on the card. There is where Soren and Ivor would offer us a job. I for one was excited. We’d finally be able to make money and help our roommates out. Though, I wish Lukas had the same enthusiasm as I did. All he did was slouch and groan the entire time we walked. 

After asking around a bit, we eventually found our way, and surprisingly it wasn’t that far away from our penthouse. It was actually really close by! 

“Come on Lukas, we’re almost there!” I exclaimed happily. Lukas sighed and nodded. 

I turned the corner, ready to arrive at Soren and Ivor’s place, but suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks. I looked ahead and saw a trio of people exiting the building we were suppose to be going into. 

“I can’t believe they fucking declined us!” a boy in the trio said. 

“It’s their loss, Aiden. We’d make good mercenaries! We could make our own organization!” a girl replied. 

The final one to walk out finally made eye contact with me and pointed right at me, whispering something to the others. I knew exactly who these three were. They were old friends of Lukas and for a while, they had been dicks to my friends and myself. No wonder Lukas left them. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t ol’ Jesse. I knew you left home, but I didn’t expect a country bumpkin to move to the big city.” Aiden teased. 

“Jesse, why’d you stop so suddenly?” Lukas called out, “What’s wrong--” 

He looked past me when he suddenly appeared from behind the corner. His face went from a shocked expression to a disgusted look. 

“Oh, it's you, Aiden. What are you doing here?” Lukas asked, a bit unenthusiastic. 

“Lukas is here too!?” Aiden let out a laugh, “Oh this is too great! Why are you two here? Thought you could make it big in the city? Well, Lukas, still wanna become a writer? Or, are you aiming more towards fashion nowadays? I mean-- sheesh-- look at what you’re wearing.” 

I saw Lukas look away, a red flush coming to his face. 

“And, Jesse, still have that crazed pig of yours running around? You haven’t turned him into porkchops yet?” Aiden joked. 

“Back off Aiden, Reuben is still around. Don’t fucking joke about my pet like that.” I replied angrily. He was really testing my patience, and I hated it. 

“Woah, someone learned to really talk back.” Aiden replied, “Looks like Jesse became the aggressive one, and Lukas became the quiet one. What happened to you, man?” 

Lukas looked back at Aiden, confused as to what he meant. 

“You used to be the ‘leader’ of the Ocelots. Now, you’re off running with Jesse’s group of losers. You can still come be with us, Lukas. Ditch Jesse and come be a part of the Blaze Rods.” Aiden said, as manipulative as usual. 

Lukas shook his head, “Sorry Aiden, you lost your chance. I’m tired of acting like an ass like you three. I’d rather stick with Jesse.” Lukas showed a sarcastic smile, “Thanks for the offer though.” 

“Whatever, dude,” Aiden said angrily. “What are you even planning on doing with your life? You’re gonna need something to keep you up in the city. It’s nothing like back home.” 

“We’re actually on our way to an interview, Aiden.” I retorted. 

“An interview where?” Aiden asked, clearly shocked in our ability to even get that far. 

“The place you just came out of. Soren and Ivor gave us a-” 

Before I could even finish, I was cut off by abrupt laughter from Aiden. Maya and Gill added to the howl of laughter. I could feel my face growing hot with anger as I clenched my fists. 

“This is fucking gold!” Aiden exclaimed, glancing back at his friends, “We couldn’t make it as their apprentices, and these two think they can do it?!” 

“Unlike you, we actually had a run in with them. We know them personally!” I roared back. 

“Oh yeah?” Aiden asked, “That shouldn't matter! They can’t take priority with you! That’s bullshit!” 

Aiden began walking past me, Gill and Maya following suit behind him. He stopped next to my ear and whispered something only I can hear. 

“You better watch your ass, Jesse.” he whispered, sending shivers down my spine. “This city is too big for you to handle.” 

And with that, they walked off, leaving Lukas and I in a daze. After they walked out of sight, we figured it was safe to talk. 

“What the Hell are they doing here?!” Lukas asked me, clearly concerned. “And why are they trying to get a job out of these two??” 

“I don’t know, but either way it worries me.” I replied, shivering at the thought of them being here, “I’m glad those two turned them down, though. I’m glad they know better than to give Aiden and his friends a job here.” 

We started walking towards the building and I heard a faint snicker come from Lukas. “They’re all walk and talk, but they don’t do anything.” Lukas rubbed the back of his head worriedly, “I just hope that doesn’t bite us in the ass, now that I’ve said it …” 

I looked back at him, giving him a reassuring look. “When they see us with our new job, there’s no way they’ll mess with us, Lukas! I guarantee, in a few years, we’ll be just as good as Soren and Ivor!” 

I saw Lukas grimace a bit. “Does that mean I have to wear a long red dress like Ivor?” he shuddered, “No offense, but, I’m not looking to be the next Jessica Rabbit … and red isn’t my style ...” 

I laughed at his comment as we walked inside the building. It seemed nice and clean, but very dark. The only light came from the ceiling fan which creaked as it swayed and rotated. We saw a desk which was piled high with loose pieces of paper. A computer chair next to it had a dark red blazer draped over it. Soren had to be here somewhere-- the radio was still playing on a channel playing Jazz music. Who knew that’s the kind of music he’d be into? 

“Soren!” I called out, walking around the room. “It’s Jesse! We’re here for the interview!” 

“Did he say he was actually going to give us an interview?” Lukas asked, walking over to the desk, glancing at the messy workspace. “I thought he was just going to give us this job.” 

I shrugged, not really knowing for certain myself. Soren seemed pretty confident on choosing us to join his line of workers. I had to admit, as keen as I was on wanting to work for hm, I did start having my doubts. Lukas and I came from a small town in the country, where we were told we could accomplish anything. Never in a million years did I think I’d become a secretive mercenary. Were we really doing the right thing? Could Lukas and I handle this? 

We suddenly heard footsteps coming from down the hall and I saw Lukas rush over to my side, pretending as if he wasn’t just snooping around. We gave each other worried glances and I called out to our employer one more time. 

“Soren! It’s Jesse!” I called out, “We’re here!”   
“I heard ya,” he replied, “Hold tight, I’m coming.” 

In he walked, his ginger hair seeming to be kept back with gel. He wore a well kept red shirt with a dark red tie around his neck. He looked ridiculously professional-- as opposed to when Lukas and I saw him the other night. Even now, Lukas seemed terrified to be in the same room as Soren. He was shaking and kept his eyes on Soren’s hands at all time-- I’m assuming in case he tried going for a gun. He sat down and motioned for us to come to his desk. 

“Seems like my business card really paid off.” he explained. “And you even talked your buddy into coming with you. You know, Ivor and I have been trying to recruit people to join us-- but all we ever end up getting is stares.”

“Gee, I wonder why.” Lukas said sarcastically. I glared at him, nudging him a little. 

“So, do we have to go through an interview?’ I asked, cocking my head in a questioning sort of way. “Or, do we have the job?” 

Soren glanced up at us, his brown eyes gleaming at both of us. I’ll admit it, I almost felt myself shrinking upon that glare at us. He smirked at us and leaned back in his chair, stretching. 

“Well, first I have to ask, kiddos--” he grunted and came back to a sitting position, scooting closer to us. “You need to be fully aware and prepared of the shit that can happen at a job like this. I hired you on a whim, and Ivor and I can give you good money-- However,” he closed his eyes and folded his hands. We watched him intently. 

“This job isn’t easy.” he said bluntly. “Every day is a new trial. When Ivor and I first started, it was like living in Hell every day. He wasn’t a killer, and neither was I. Every night, we’d wake up in a cold sweat, feeling guilty about the things we had to do to get by. The same is gonna happen to you. Are you sure you’re willing to work for us?” 

I looked at Lukas and he looked back at me, shakily nodding at me. We needed the money. The others weren’t making enough to afford our current living, so we needed to help and contribute however we could. This was our only chance. 

I turned back to Soren and nodded to him. “Yes. We need this job. We’re prepared for whatever awaits us.” I felt myself almost choking on those words. I hoped I wouldn’t regret this. 

“Alright--” Soren leaned back and raised his hands up, almost looking like a shrug. He gave us a confident smile. “You’re hired!” Lukas and I looked at each other, then back at Soren. It was that easy? 

“Th-that’s it?” Lukas asked, “We’re hired, just like that?” 

“Well, actually, I gotta clear it with Ivor first.” Soren explained, standing up and throwing on his blazer. “He’s over at Gabriel’s right now.” 

“Who’s Gabriel?” Lukas and I both asked in unison. 

“He’s a good friend of mine who runs a sort of Pub a few blocks over. He, Ivor, and I, as well as two others lived together when we first came to the city. He’s very reliable in a pinch.” Soren explained. “But, as I said, we need to go get Ivor’s approval before anything.”

Soren headed for the door and we followed. I heard Lukas groan in annoyance behind me, I looked back at him, an eyebrow raised. 

“If we have to get Ivor’s approval, then we’re as good as fired before we even get the job.” he groaned. I laughed in agreement, although I knew he was dead serious.If Ivor didn’t like us before, then how were we ever going to get a job where he’s our boss …? 

It wasn’t a long walk through the city, but we definitely were in a shadier part of town. Soren had said it was a few blocks away, but the city changed so drastically in just a short amount of time. I could actually almost feel Lukas on top of me, nearly clinging to me. Soren stopped in front of a decently sized building with a pink neon light in a tinted window that said “Gabriel’s”. Guess Soren wasn’t joking when he said it was actually Gabriel’s pub. 

Lukas glanced up at the side, cocking his head to the side, “So, what is this, like a nightclub?” he asked. “You said it was a pub, but aren’t pubs-- you know-- classier?”

Soren chuckled, “Sort of.” he walked up to the bouncer standing in front of the door. He had a cool, surfer dude look going for him.. “It’s cool, Ruben, they’re with me.” 

The boucner nodded silently and nodded for us to follow Soren inside. All the while, Lukas was trying to guess what the secret was behind this pub. 

“So, it’s like a bar and a nightclub combined into one?” Lukas asked again. 

Soren didn’t respond, but I could see a smirk forming on his face. As we walked in, I could hear quiet but vulgar music playing over a loudspeaker. It was very dark inside, and my eyes had to adjust to the black and red lighting. I saw Lukas walk next to me, squinting his eyes until they adjusted to. Lukas and I must’ve seen the same thing at the exact same time, because I heard an audible gasp come from him as my mouth curved into a smile of disbelief. 

Before us stood Ivor, a bearded, middle-aged man, in lingerie, dancing up on a platform around a pole. And to be completely honest, he was pretty good at it. He had lots of people looking at him in almost as much amazement as we were. I saw Lukas bring a hand to his forehead. 

“Jesse …?” he asked quietly. I looked over at him, trying my damndest not to laugh. “Is it too late to have regrets? Because I’m having REGRETS.” I muffled a laugh behind my hand, trying desperately not to die on the spot. 

“Yo, Ivor!” Soren called out, walking towards the man. Ivor glanced over, holding his what looked to be incredibly painful pose for a man and smiled. 

“Soren! And Jesse and Blonde Guy!” Ivor said, a smile appearing on his face as he danced some more. “Did you come for a show? Even if we’re close, Soren, you can’t expect this to be free. Or did you come for a private session perhaps?” 

Soren shook his head. “Some other time. Get your clothes on and come sit with us. We need to talk.” 

I saw as Ivor dropped to his feet and proceeded off the platform. He had a look of confusion about him, and I felt his gaze come to us as we stood there-- very, very awkwardly. Yes, we were over the age of 21-- no, we weren’t very comfortable being here. 

Ivor brushed his fingers across Soren’s face as he passed by, his heels clacking as he went towards the backroom. The crowd that had been watching him perform disappeared back to their tables or left altogether, making the pub a quiet place now. 

“Soren-- I told you-- you can’t bring kids in here.” a voice called out. We followed the voice to a man who stood behind the bar, garbed in what seemed to be pretty casual clothes for a pub. Soren raised a hand and began walking over, motioning for us to follow, yet again. 

“They’re not kids, they’re over age. Don’t belittle me, Gabe.” he said, taking a seat at the bar. We both sat beside them as we felt the glares of Gabriel on us. He would seem like a nice guy, had it not been for all the glares we kept receiving from everyone. 

“So, these are the new ones? Break the news to Ivor yet, or is that what this meeting is about?” Gabriel asked, leaning in towards Soren to hear the juicy tidbits. 

“Haven’t told him yet. These two are promising though. I think they can hold their own for sure.” Soren cracked a smile and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. 

“Can these two talk for themselves?” Gabriel turned to me, offering a smile. He extended his hand and I reached mine out to shake his hand. He had a very, very powerful grip. “As you know, my name’s Gabriel. Gabe for short. Don’t get on my bad side, otherwise you’ll see why they call me a warrior.” 

I nodded, swallowing hard as I tried to figure out what to say. I really wish my voice hadn’t sounded so shaky, but after hearing him say something like that, how could I not be shaky? “I-I’m Jesse … and this is Lukas. We just moved to Sky City with our friends.”

“And so you’re looking for a job, because times are hard in the big city? Right?’ Gabriel said, cracking a smile. I also saw Soren smiling as well. 

“How’d you know? Do we really look that desperate?” Lukas asked, crossing his arms and snickering. 

Gabriel simply shook his head and looked at us, his eyes now full of sympathy. “Because us five; Ivor, Soren, Ellie, Magnus, and myself-- we were in the same fix as you kids. Shit was tough on us, so we had to take odd jobs. You’re awful brave to be finding work in a mercenary service. Shit gets rough out there.” 

“So we’ve been told …” Lukas said quietly. “But, we need the money. If you say you were in our position, then you must know. You know we need this money to get by.” 

“I’m not accusing you kid-- Just saying, you’ve got balls to do what you’re doing.” Gabriel said with a shrug. A door closed and we all looked over to see Ivor walking towards us, now actually fully clothed. It was shocking, because instead of wearing the dress we had seen him in before-- here he came wearing a suit similar to Soren. 

“So it’s a suit kind of day, eh?” Soren said with a smirk. “God, you can never make up your mind. Usually you only wear suits when you’re pissed off at me.” 

“It is a suit day, now shut up.” Ivor sat next to Lukas and I could see him flinch at being so close to the guy who threatened to kill us. “So, what’s going on. Why’d you bring these assholes here?” 

“We’re hiring them. They wanna be our apprentices. I also think this’d be a good idea-- we can’t do all this work on our own, Ivor-- it’s getting tough on us.” Soren explained. Both Lukas and I exchanged glances and then looked over at Ivor, who simply held a blank stare at Soren. 

“No, seriously, why’d you bring them here?” he asked, smiling and raising a brow at him. Soren stayed quiet for a long time as Lukas and I sat there, unable to think of what to say. Ivor huffed in a way that sounded like a laugh before looking at Soren, extremely confused. “Seriously?! You’re really gonna hire two kids?? Soren-- they’re gonna get us and themselves killed!” 

“That’s why we train them. It’s called an apprenticeship for a reason, Ivor. The least we can do is give them a chance.” he spoke in a serious tone towards Ivor, which was something I had never seen before. They always seemed to be jokesters with each other, and even lovey dovey-- but now, Soren wasn’t playing games. “I say we hire them. What have we got to lose?” 

“Our dignity--” Ivor replied as he tapped the table beneath him, letting Gabriel know he wanted a drink. Gabriel nodded and headed off to whip something up. “You’re hiring children to work for us--” 

“Ok, listen asshole--” Lukas finally stated as he turned towards Ivor. I felt my heart drop into my stomach … what the Hell was he doing? “I’m sick and tired of people referring to us as kids. We’re living in a goddamn penthouse in the wealthier part of the city. We’re in need of money, and Soren and you can give us that. Do we have the job or not?” 

“Lukas …” I said, a tad bit angrily, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. He shrugged me off-- literally. 

“No, Jesse. I want to know if we have the job, or if we’re wasting our time with this bullshit. Soren talks about giving us chances, but what’s the point in doing that if one of our bosses is against us right from the get-go?!” he exclaimed, immediately throwing his finger in Ivor’s face. That was it. There went out chance at this job.

Ivor’s confused expression turned to one of intrigue. He smirked at Lukas and nodded. “Alright, Blonde Guy-- I’ll tell you what. The Mercenary business is chock full of danger. I’ll give you kids a month to see if you can keep up with the daily struggles of being said Mercenary. If you break before then, I don’t ever want to see your faces again.” Ivor held out his hand, waiting for Lukas to shake on it. I watched in shock as Lukas shook his hand. 

“Deal!” he cried. That was when Gabriel brought out the drinks, not just one for Ivor. He handed Lukas and I two red drinks that seemed to fizz as they slide across the countertop to us. 

“Well, since you seemed to have made a deal with the devil-- let’s celebrate! Don’t worry, your drinks aren’t alcoholic. Don’t know if these two plan to put you through Hell today or not, so you gotta be on your toes.” Gabriel insisted, giving them a nod. 

I smiled as I looked over at Lukas who was smiling back all the same. The two of us clinked our glasses together in a toast. Today was actually working out in our favor. 

“Nah, no missions today.” Soren stated, taking a sip of his drink. “Too late in the day, honestly. And Reggie and Milo are out making their rounds right about now. Too risky taking them out right now.” 

Lukas raised a brow and looked over at Soren as he stopped sipping. “Reggie and Milo? Who are they?” 

“They’re the head of the Police Department. As you can imagine, being a Mercenary is … pretty illegal. We don’t need you getting arrested on your first day.” Soren explained. 

“O-oh …” Lukas said with a gulp, staring back at his drink. “Right … this is an illegal job …” 

“Oh! Backing out already?” Ivor laughed, kicking back in his chair. “Told you he’d pussy out, Soren. The kid doesn’t have a backbone!” 

“I’m not pussying out!” Lukas cried, slamming his drink down. He turned to Ivor, giving him a scowl. “We’ll become just as good as you and Soren! Just you wait!” 

“I’ll hold you to that, Blonde Guy~” Ivor said playfully, tapping the blonde’s nose before taking a sip of his own drink. 

“Before anything starts, tomorrow morning we’re taking you to see Ellegaard and Magnus.” Soren said, setting his drink down. 

I looked over at him and cocked my head. “Who are they? Friends of yours?” 

“Yeah-- the other two that Gabriel had mentioned earlier. They run a boutique disguised as a weapon vault. We can head over there so you can get your first weapons. It’s best to talk to the professionals when discovering your first weapon.” Soren said with a snicker. 

“Great ... “ Lukas whined. “Can’t wait …” 

Despite all the ups and downs of today, everything was going according to plan. We were getting a job, Soren seemed to like the two of us, and we were beating Aiden at his own game. Now, if we could just hold off for a month, we could really make a living out of this! Things were finally starting to look up! 

\--- 

After Jesse and Lukas had returned home for the night, Soren was busy completing paperwork. He heard the door to the office open from outside in the streets. Ivor walked in and Soren nodded at him, letting him know he had acknowledged his arrival. Ivor tossed a bag onto Soren’s desk-- it smelled like a pastry. 

“I stopped at the donut place you like. You like those kind, right?” Ivor asked, hanging up the blazer he had been wearing that day. Soren peered into the back, taking out the treat Ivor had picked up for him. A warm feeling ran through his body. How sweet. He nodded, taking a bit out of the donut. 

Ivor walked over, glancing down at the paperwork as he ran a hand over Soren’s back, soothingly. He was doing the paperwork for Jesse and Lukas’ to become their full-time apprentices. He stopped his rubbing and stood up, scowling at Soren. 

“You still never gave me a good reason as to why you wanted to hire them, Did you just have a gay little bonding time with them? If that’s the case you’ll make me jealous.” Soren teased. “You hired them without my consent, babe. I don’t get it.” 

Soren turned around in his chair and looked up at Ivor. “I asked you, and I convinced you. There’s a difference, Ivor. Quit making me look like the bad guy.” 

Ivor groaned and rested against the windowsill. They both sat there in the quiet, dimly lit room. Eventually, Soren finally spoke up. 

“I have a good reason … they’re just like us when we started out. They’re in the same position as us …” he glanced over at a photo that sat on his desk. It was a photo of himself, Ivor, Gabriel, and their two other friends Ellegaard and Magnus. “I don’t want them to run into the same shit we ran into.” 

Ivor bit his lip and followed Soren’s gaze to the photo. “I … I see where you’re coming from. However, they started in a nice penthouse-- we started with nothing.” 

Soren chuckled a bit, picking up the photograph and looking at it, as Ivor moved closer to hover over him and look with him. “Yeah, they certainly are luckier than us …” 

“God … look how young we look there.” Ivor said, feeling a wave of nostalgia hit him. “That was when the guy robbed us of our camera after giving us the photo right? Some fuckin’ keepsake, right?” 

“Ugh, tell me about it. We were what, in our twenties here?” he set the photograph back down and sighed. “So much has changed … we’ve changed a lot too.” 

Ivor nodded, and looked back at Soren who seemed to be caught in his nostalgia trance once again. He knelt down and looked up into Soren’s eyes, giving him a loving smile. 

“At least we’re here now. We’re making a living-- and we’re living. We still have our friends, and we’re getting by. I wouldn’t give that up for the world.” he moved closer and pressed his lips to Soren’s. Having had this happened thousands of times, Soren took the sloppy kiss. Ivor chuckled as he stood back up and took Soren’s hands in his. 

“You can finish up the paperwork in the morning, darling. Come upstairs with me.” he said playfully, gently pulling him up and out of the chair. “We need to be up early, and we still have some things to do before we sleep~” 

Soren huffed, not knowing if it was a laugh or a sigh. He stood up and nodded, turning off the desk lamp. “You’re lucky I love you. That paperwork is important.” 

“I’m important~”

“Shut the Hell up, Ivor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Gabriel's introduced >: D   
> Also we had the introductions of Aiden and his gang-- don't forget about them. They'll be important later on -w- b


	4. He's All I Have

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soren and Ivor introduce Jesse and Lukas to two more accomplices of theirs and they receive their own weapons. Things take a turn for the worse when Jesse and Lukas come face to face with one of the most dastardly criminals in the city-- Cassie Rose.

It was mid morning, and a lone police car sat outside the Sky City station. The day had been horribly slow, and having to meet their quota was proving to be a very, very difficult task. Two men sat in the front seats of the car. The blonde haired man sat there, fiddling with the car’s radio, hoping for something to flicker on. The man at the wheel had brown hair with a moustache, and a clearly visible annoyed look about him. It was already getting late in the day, and if they didn’t come to Isa with their quota, they’d have to pay. 

“We need to get going, Milo.” the brown haired one said strictly. “If we don’t meet our quota by the end of the day, Isa’s not gonna let it go very easily.” 

The one called Milo turned back to the brown haired one and gave him a smirk. “Come on Reggie, the city is huge-- we’ll be able to find someone before the end of the day. Just you wait!” 

The one referred to as Reggie let out a loud, audible sigh. “Reginald. Do not call me by Reggie. We’ve been sitting here, fidgeting with this damn thing for hours. You think we’d get some kind of lead by now!” 

Milo groaned and let his hands fall to the sides of his seat and he leaned back. He brought his hands to his face, angry groans escaping him. “Listen. We have the entire afternoon to get something. It’s not like it’s going to be served on a silver platter to us--” 

Just as Milo had finished his tangent, the radio buzzed and voices could be heard over the line. The two leaned in to listen carefully. All they managed to get was the address and the name Torque Dawg. Milo looked over at Reginald, a smile creeping onto his face. 

“Torque Dawg?” he asked, his smile getting bigger and bigger. “Like, THE Torque Dawg? The one gang leader that’s causing all sorts of shit!?” 

A shocked expression followed by a nervous laughter came to Reginald. “If we were to capture him … we’d get such a massive raise! If we took out Torque Dawg, the crime rates would drop so much!” 

Reginald turned the car on, and floored it, leaving Milo hooting and hollering beside him. With an address and a name, they were off to catch them the biggest gang leader in Sky City! So long as those asshole mercenaries didn’t get in their way, they were golden! 

\--- 

Jesse and Lukas waited in the office part of Soren and Ivor’s business. The messy paperwork was still there, which Lukas couldn’t help but snoop. It was their paperwork to be hired, and it still wasn’t done? How professional of those two. 

“So what do you think this Ellegaard and Magnus will be like?” Jesse asked, looking over at Lukas. Lukas simply shrugged and walked beside Jesse, leaning up against the wall. 

“I honestly kind of hope they’re like Gabriel. He was the most normal out of everyone we’ve met so far. I mean-- aside from the fact that he owns a strip club for men.” Lukas said, sneering as he did. 

“Come on, man, why you gotta be so sexist?” Jesse joked, pushing against Lukas. “Pole dancing is for everyone-- not just women. Hell, I think it’d be a great workout-- who knows?” Lukas simply shoved him back as Jesse laughed harder. 

After a few more minutes of waiting, they were met with Soren and Ivor, wearing their usual clothing. Soren with his blazer, and Ivor in his red dress. Lukas raised a brow as Jesse tried hiding his smile. 

“So it’s a dress kind of day, huh?” Lukas asked, smirking a bit. “Is red your favorite color, or?” 

Ivor simply stared at him, hand on his hip. “It’s actually purple, Blonde Guy. Stop with the smart ass remarks.” he snapped his fingers, pointing at the door as he walked towards it. “Let’s go. Ellegaard and Magnus’ are only ten minutes by car.” 

Jesse raised a brow at him. “Uh, Lukas and I can’t drive …” they followed the duo out, not having seen a car when they entered the business. “Unless you guys have a car?” 

“Only the best car in the world, Jesse. Don’t think light of your old bosses.” They walked beside the small building and found a garage. Soren pulled a small remote out of his pocket, pressing the button and letting the garage door open up slowly. Inside was a magenta convertible-- and it looked brand spanking new. 

Both Jesse and Lukas’ eyes widened as their face curved into a smile. Both of them had dreamed of owning a car like this, and now their bosses owned one? They’d be riding around in style! This was too good to be true! 

“Soren, you’re driving.” Ivor said, immediately taking the passenger’s seat. Soren simply nodded with a smile, knowing very well he was the designated driver. Jesse and Lukas then hopped into the back, and for once in their entire time being with Ivor and Soren-- were incredibly excited! 

Soren turned it on, and popped in a CD before driving off. The songs that played were vulgar music at best, but it was actually pretty tasteful. With the wind in their hair, they were off to see Magnus and Ellegaard-- the people Jesse and Lukas had been hearing so much about! 

Several minutes had passed, and they came to a surprisingly wealthier and better part of the city, as opposed to where Gabriel’s pub had been located. Why would the five of them space their shops so far apart if they were all in cahoots with one another? Either way, they were getting close-- according to Soren. 

They finally reached one of the bigger businesses within the street and pulled up onto the curb. Soren and Ivor grabbed whatever belongings they had on them, and motioned for their apprentices to follow suit. There was a big window with elegant looking gowns and tuxedos within view. A big billboard was plastered above said window that said. ‘Sky City Spotlight” Such a name seemed fitting for a boutique-- at least in Jesse’s eyes. He really didn’t have one for fashion, which was painfully obvious in a group of friends that new everything about fashion.

The door opened with a jingle; the bell at the top of the door giving way to the four walking in. The boutique smelled of perfume, and immediately seemed like a super expensive place to be. Upon coming inside, rows and rows of beautiful dresses and suits were strung up everywhere. It felt so surreal as opposed to the rest of the city. In one of the rows stoof a rather short man and a taller woman. The woman wore an elegant dress and had matching earrings with shoulder length red hair. The main seemed to be bald, or at least had a shaved head. He wore a suit, but almost seemed casual in his own sense. They turned to the four and gave big smiles. 

“Soren! Ivor!” the girl exclaimed, dropping what she was doing and walking over hurriedly. “We weren’t expecting you to stop by so soon!” 

The man gave them a smirk as he walked over as well. “Didn’t you just stop by for some more ammo the other day? You owe us a shitload of money still.” 

Ivor shrugged, smirking in his own sadistic way. “Come on, Magnus-- we’re friends! You can’t cut us some slack?” 

The one called Magnus chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his head. “Shit, sorry man-- I know that. Business has been rough lately. No one in this damned city wants to buy our shit. And it’s not like we can just open up and show them the weapon vault, right, Ellie?” 

The one called Ellie nodded. “It’s true. You two are some of our only customers. With Gabriel having his secret weapon, he doesn’t really need to buy weapons from us anymore.” Her glance came to the two standing behind her old friends. A faint smile appeared on her face. “Who are they?” 

Ivor and Soren stepped aside, letting them come into full view. Jesse gave a smile and a wave and Lukas simply nodded, acknowledging them. 

“Our new apprentices.” Ivor explained. “Soren here thought it’d be a good idea to hire them without telling me first.” 

“Oh would you just shut up about that already!?” Soren exclaimed. “You made your deal with Lukas-- the least you can do is acknowledge it, you big baby.” 

Magnus raised a brow, intrigued by what the ginger was saying. “A deal? What kind of deal?” 

Lukas spoke up, before Ivor even had the chance. “The deal was that Ivor was going to give us a month to see how we could handle being mercenaries. If we didn’t give it up by the end of the month, then they’d continue training us. If not, then he never wanted to see us again.” 

Magnus and Ellegaard both nodded and then looked over towards Ivor. 

“That’s quite the deal, Ivor. This kid especially seems to have spunk-- I think he can do it. And that runt back there--” Magnus pointed over to Jesse, who in turn cocked his head at him. Magnus simply laughed. “Oh yeah, he’ll be able to knock a few heads for sure.” 

Soren interrupted them all with the actual news as to why they had shown up. “Listen, we just came here to get some weapons for them. Something basic-- not to heavy duty. Got anything like that? You must.” 

Ellegaard nodded. “What they need is pistols. Ever shot a gun before?” 

“No, ma’am.” Jesse said, shaking his head. Lukas replied the same. 

“Ma’am! You hear that Ellegaard? You must be looking your age if they’re calling you ‘ma’am’!” Magnus was met with a smack to the side of the face, only to be followed by laughter. She began walking away as Magnus followed, motioning for the others to follow. “Don’t worry kiddos, we’ll saddle you up with something good. Now-- watch this!” 

Ellegaard came to the counter where the cash register lay and stood behind it. The clicking of a button could be heard from behind it as the ground began shaking. Jesse and Lukas simply glanced at each other in worry, while the other four simply smiled at each other. 

The tiled floor beneath them began to give way, creating a secret tunnel beneath them. A staircase leading down could be seen forming just in front of them. It had taken back the two apprentices that they had to take a step back just not to fall in. This had to be where Ellegaard and Magnus kept their secret stash of weapons! 

“Alright Ellie, you go lock up and I’ll take them downstairs. Can’t have anybody walking in on this, otherwise we’re busted.” She nodded and headed off for the front door and the windows to make it seem as if they were closed. Magnus took the lead in front of them and brought them to their storage. 

“That’s really cool that you have this secret room.” Jesse explained. “It’s like in those secret agent movies!”

“I’ll say-- but isn’t it a bit risky having this in your boutique? The cops haven’t found out about it yet?” Lukas asked, following up what Jesse had to say. Magnus simply shook his head.   
“Nah, the police haven’t found out yet-- thank God.” The further they walked down, the colder it seemed to become. “Although, Milo and Reginald have been on our asses thinking we’re in cahoots with Soren and Ivor-- which, I mean, we are-- but we’re not going to let them know that.” 

“You people keep bringing up Milo and Reginald-- and I get that they’re the head of the police department, but shouldn’t you guys be on the same side?” Lukas asked, oblivious to how this all worked out. “If you guys are both trying to get rid of the crime here in the city, then why not work together.” 

“You’re not getting it, Blonde Guy.” Ivor explained. “Being a mercenary is highly illegal. We do this shit for the money and no other reasons. If we have to get our hands dirty, we will! Not to mention Isa’s trying to keep everything under control-- but she can’t even get her police force together to handle all this bullshit.” 

Soren nodded, adding to what Ivor had to say. “We always end up beating Milo and Reginald to the chase. We take care of everything, and end up getting paid more than they would ever hope to get. Sucks for them, but that’s how it works in the big city. We do more than those bastards ever do-- and of course we get no recognition for it.” 

Jesse nodded. “Is there like-- anybody in general you’re all after? There’s gotta be like some big mafia guy everyone’s trying to get to.” 

Ivor and Soren glanced at each other, knowing indeed who their target was-- both them and the police. Soren looked back at Jesse and Lukas as they continued down the stairs. “There’s this one guy named Torque Dawg. Stupid ass name, really dangerous criminal. He’s been known to pawn people off and he’s also buying things from the black market. Not only that, but he’s got half the city in his grubby hands.” 

“Isa has her head too far up her ass with her annoying attendant Stella to even realize he’s the real issue. She’s having her police go after all the petty thieves and shit, and they’re not focusing on the real threat.” Ivor explained. “If Torque Dawg gets taken down, then the city will be one Hell of a safer place.” 

Both Jesse and Lukas felt … very uncomfortable knowing that now. Now that they knew of an all powerful gang leader in the streets, obviously on the lookout for both the police and the mercenary services, that was one more thing to keep an eye out for. 

“Not to mention that Cassie Rose bitch.” Magnus intervened. “She’s been wanted for months-- always killing, but always finding a way to escape.” 

Lukas nodded. “I think I’ve heard of her before. When we lived back in the country, there was always news about her on the tv. They could never catch her-- and they still haven’t?” 

“Bingo. She’s a slick one-- murdering and then running away. No one knows of her motives, and she’s not affiliated with anyone really. Once her and Torque Dawg are taken out, we can all rest easily.” 

Ellegaard had finally caught up with the others as they finally made it to the cellar. She flickered on a light and the entire basement lit up, revealing shelf after shelf of heavy artillery and all kinds of different weapons. Overwhelming to both Lukas and Jesse- they were really beginning to see just what they were getting into. 

Ellegaard walked over to one of the racks and cocked two pistols, handing them off to Jesse and Lukas. To both their surprise, they were really heavy. Guns always seemed like they were super easy to use, but it seemed like they’d have to get used to something like this. 

“That’s your standard pistol. It can either imobolize or kill-- so you need to be accurate with your shots.” she explained. “Soren, Ivor-- these should be what they start with. We also have some refills on the rifles for you two.” 

Magnus looked at the baffled young adults before him and nudged Jesse. “We have a shooting range if you want to practice-- free of charge.” 

Jesse nodded and both he and Lukas followed Magnus to an open room with several punching bags and targets meant to resemble dummies. There were visible bullet holes in them, making this experience ten times more surreal. 

“Use it to your heart’s content! If you want the expert advice though, you need to speak with Soren or Ivor.” With that being said, Magnus left them alone to practice. 

The duo stared at their weapons, hands clearly shaking. Lukas looked over at Jesse, with big worried eyes. He shook his head before lowering his gun. 

“Jesse-- this is fucking insane!” he cried. “We’re really getting into some serious shit! Like, with Petra she’s just selling drugs-- but, man, we’re really gonna kill people …?” 

“Listen … I know this seems … unreal …” Jesse explained. “But, we need the money. If you’re not doing it for yourself then think of the others. Axel, Olivia, Petra-- if we wanna keep living here, then we need this money. We can do this.” He grabbed Lukas’ shoulder and shook him a bit, offering a smile. “You can do this. I know you can.” 

Lukas meant to smile, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Alright, Jesse … alright … Whatever you say …” He held the gun tighter as he could hear Ivor’s heels clacking in the distance, making their way towards the shooting range. 

“I just had a though, Jesse … What do we do if we meet up with Torque Dawg? Or that Cassie Rose girl? What if they’re the first people we need to fight? I don’t think I could kill someone … not that quick at least …” 

“We’ll have Soren and Ivor with us-- they’ll guide us through it. We’re their apprentices, and they’ll help us through everything.” Jesse said with a confident smile. Lukas only sighed, nodding. 

With the help of Ivor and Soren, they spent the remainder of their time at the boutique practicing their aim and shots. They weren’t masters, not yet at least, but they were decent. They could protect themselves now if need be. With a thank you to their old friends, they headed off, surprised to see that so much time had passed by. It was already night! With a curse under his breath, Ivor swore that the next day they’d get in a real mission. Lukas and Jesse were quiet the entire ride back to their place. Soren and Ivor dropped them off at their penthouse and took off, expecting them back at the business bright and early. 

“Godddd” Lukas whined, running his fingers through his hair. “This is insane-- I still can’t get over the fact that we’re armed!” 

“Lukas-- we’ll be fine. I promise. Nothing’s going to happen to us, or Ivor and Soren.” he sighed. “Look, if we get through this month-- you can quit. I’m gonna keep going though. We need this money, and it’s too good to give it up.” 

As Lukas contemplated Jesse’s words, he heard Jesse mutter a curse beneath his breath. “What is it? What’s wrong?’ he asked. 

“I left our fucking card key at Soren and Ivor’s place!” he cried. “Fuck!” 

“Well, it’s only a few blocks away … we can grab it quick and then head back here. Or we can call the others.” 

“No, we can’t. I left my fucking phone at home, and yours is broken.” Jesse groaned as he turned away from the apartment complex and began on their way to go back, hoping their bosses wouldn’t be asleep. 

They hadn’t realized, but the streets at night were sketchier than during the day-- scary even. The alleyways were horribly dark, and only the occasional car passed by the empty streets. Lukas hadn’t realized, but he had taken the lead ahead of Jesse. He just wanted to get the card key and get back home to get some sleep. Just as the turn was coming before Soren and Ivor’s place, Lukas heard a muffled shout. He spun around quickly to see Jesse struggling to get free from someone’s grasp. He had a bag of some sort over his head, which muffled his voice. Their pursuer held a gun at Lukas as he raised his own. In the time that Lukas had heard Jesse yell out, the person had already bound his hands as he was thrown to the ground. 

Unable to do anything, Lukas shakily held the person at gunpoint, but their pursuer simply ran at Lukas, making him fire off in a random direction. He was bagged and his hands were bound. With their voices muffled to the outside world, they couldn’t cry for help. It felt as if they were thrown into a car, and whisked away to some horrible place. All the while, Lukas kept calling out to Jesse. How could things have gone downhill so fast? 

\--- 

The car had stopped and the two were dragged somewhere. When the bags were removed, Lukas glanced over to see Jesse, bound to an old rickety chair, with duct tape over his mouth. Lukas had also been bound to a chair, but his mouth was free of anything, unable to keep him from screaming for help. And that’s what he did-- he screamed for help. Screamed for Soren or Ivor-- for anyone. He looked over at Jesse, who’s eyes had widened considerably. Lukas looked behind him to see someone approach them. 

A girl with reddish hair held a pistol in her hand, as she smiled down at them, not saying a word. Lukas’ eyes widened when he realized who this was-- It was Cassie Rose-- the woman who was going on a huge killing spree! And he and Jesse-- they were her next victims. 

“Please,” Lukas pleaded, horror in his voice. “Please, don’t hurt us! We’re only kids!” He looked over at Jesse who in turn shared a terrified glance as the girl walked over to him, putting the barrel of the pistol to his head. Lukas struggled to get free, screaming again at the girl. “No!! Don’t, please!!” 

And then, what he wasn’t expecting was the girl to actually talk to them. She glanced at the blonde, now holding a straight face. “To get by in this city, you need to be the strongest to get what you want. To survive. Even if you have to resort to murder. Your luck is about to run out.” 

She forcefully pushed the barrel to the side of Jesse’s head, watching as he flinched away. Tears were streaming down Lukas’ cheeks now as he pleaded with the girl to not shoot his best friend. He kept struggling, and screaming, but no matter what, nothing was working. He was about to witness the death of his best friend. 

“Don’t do this!!” he screamed, full on sobbing now. “You’ve got the wrong guy!! Please, he’s everything I have!” 

He heard the gun go off, and flinched away, sobbing uncontrollably. He had just watched his best friend die. He opened his eyes to see what remained of Jesse, but-- he was still sitting there. Jesse opened his eyes after Lukas and wondered at the same time what had happened. Next to them, in a heap of blood lay Cassie Rose-- dead. 

Lukas felt like he was going to faint from this overload. “What … just happened …” he whimpered, sobs escaping him. Sirens could be heard outside, and as he snapped back into reality, two people came rushing over to them. Lukas was expecting it to be Ivor and Soren, but they were two completely different people. Dressed in green, and bearing the Sky City Police insignia on their shirts. 

A blonde man rushed to Lukas’ aid, unbinding his hands and legs. “Are you ok, kid? You’re not hurt are you?” 

Lukas didn’t know how to reply. All he could do was shakily nod his head. Beside him, another man with brown hair slowly pulled away the tape on Jesse’s mouth, revealing a very concerned but happy Jesse. 

“It’s alright, you’re safe now. Do you need medical attention?” the man asked. Jesse shook his head, heavily breathing. 

“We’re … alright …” he said quietly. “Shaken up, but we’re alright …” 

The blonde haired man looked at the corpse beside’s Jesse. He immediately reached for the radio attached to his belt and called in the capture and killing of Cassie Rose. The brown haired man helped the kids to their feet, seeing them visibly shaken up. 

“Under normal circumstances, we’d bring you to the big house for questioning. But, we’ll just take you to the hospital.” 

“But, we’re fine …” Jesse said quietly. “In all honesty, we just want to go home … can we be questioned some other time? Please …?” 

The two police offers exchanged glances and both nodded. The brown haired man looked back at Jesse. “Of course. We’ll be glad to take you home.” 

Jesse was immediately met by a big hug from Lukas, as the blonde tore at his shirt, holding him and gripping him tightly. His voice was shaky and he wasn’t letting go. 

“I thought I just saw you die …” he whimpered. “Oh God, Jesse … you’re actually still here …” 

Jesse didn’t reply, and instead simply embraced his best friend in a hug. He listened in on what the police had to say as reinforcements came in to exame Cassie Rose’s corpse. The two that had shot her and overall rescued them came up to Jesse and Lukas. 

“Sorry for not introducing ourselves. My name is Reginald and this is my partner, Milo. Where do you live again? We’ll be sure to bring you home promptly.” 

Both Jesse and Lukas stared at the police officers with wide eyes. It was at that moment that they realized it probably would’ve been best if they were killed by Cassie Rose. 

Because now, they had to deal with the head of police-- Reginald and Milo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh this chapter was fun to write c;   
> The angst, the fluff, the revelations, and everything-- ahhh so much fun <3 
> 
> The only thing I could've worked with a little more was how fast-paced the ending came, but, aside from that, I'm happy with this chapter! 
> 
> If you're enjoying it as well, be sure to leave a kudos or a comment~ Let me know what you think of it!


	5. Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Lukas are introduced to the remainder of the accomplices, and what a strange pair these two were. After introductions, it's time for Jesse and Lukas' first mission! If they can't handle this, they won't be able to handle future missions. It's make it or break it.

The night Jesse and Lukash had been rescued by the police, they were promptly brought home to the street they lived on-- assuring the police that they’d be fine and have no issue getting home now. This was mostly to avoid having their location being found out. Usually, police were trustworthy and nice people, and Jesse and Lukas would obviously trust them and feel safe around them. However, when your new job involves illegal values, you know that that’s going to backfire. Instead, they were dropped off at one of the light posts. Milo rolled down the window to his side of the police car and looked out at them. 

“You sure you don’t need an escort? We don’t need you two getting into trouble again.” Milo said back. “We’ll be more than happy to--” 

At that moment, Lukas shook his head, holding himself as if he were shivering. “We live nearby, don’t worry. We’ll be fine this time. Thanks again officers …” Jesse glanced over at him, knowing how hard it must be for him to keep such a facade going for this long. He admired Lukas for that reason. Something traumatic may have just happened, but he seemed as cool as ever. It’s actually quite funny, considering how timid he had been. You’d never figure that Lukas could keep so cool and collected at times. 

Milo nodded at them both. “Alright. Just be careful. We’ll call you later this week for further questioning. Sorry you had such a rough night.” 

Reginald peered from behind Milo and nodded at them. “Get home and get some shut eye, boys. And for God’s sake, stay out of the streets at night!” 

“We will, sir.” Jesse replied. “Thank you so much for tonight.” 

With a nod of approval, Reginald put the car in gear and drove off, leaving Jesse and Lukas sitting there, walking to their apartment building. Both of them were keeping an eye out for their surroundings near. If Cassie Rose had any accomplices, then they may be nearby. They kept quiet until they got to their apartment complex and walked inside to the lobby, where they took a moment to collect themselves. 

“We still don’t have the card key …” Lukas suddenly realized, groaning in disbelief. 

“If I know Axel, he’ll still be up if Petra and Olivia are asleep.” Jesse explained, heading for the elevator. Lukas kept quiet until the duo got into the elevator. Upon the door closing and starting to ping as they made their way up, Jesse completely lost his cool. 

“Dude, THAT was fucking Milo and Reginald!?” he cried, emphasising his expression with his arms. “THEY’RE the guys that have been chasing after Ivor and Soren for forever!?” 

Lukas said nothing and just glanced down, unable to say something. Lukas was honestly still in shock. He almost witnessed his best friend be murdered right before him-- and it all happened so quickly. Before he knew it, the two were strapped to chairs with guns at their heads. Just thinking back to the moment when he was sure Jesse died made him shake in fear. In a shaky voice, he looked over at Jesse, forcing a semi smile. He looked about ready to cry. 

“I’m just … glad you’re alright …” he sounded like he was about to cry too. “I don’t like worrying about you …” They stood there in silence for a few moments as the elevator pinged, making it’s way towards their penthouse. “I wanted so badly to thank those policemen for saving us. If they hadn’t shown up … you’d be dead …” 

Jesse bit his lips and stuck his hands into his pockets. “Y-yeah … but,” he went quiet. Reginald and Milo had saved their lives, and they even killed Cassie Rose. Jesse kept telling himself over and over to be happy they got out unscathed, but he wasn’t sure what he was more shaken up about -- nearly dying or finding out who their saviors were. “God, I just can’t believe it had to be them …” 

The elevator made its final ping as they reached the penthouse floor. They walked out onto the floor, glancing out of the windows that touched the floor, looking out into the skyline of the city. Both of them, at that moment, felt a little melancholic. They stood there, watching the glow of the city in the night sky. No stars were visible, and only the occasional flicker of an airplane passing by could be seen. 

Jesse sighed. “What I think I miss most about our old home … had to be the night sky. You could go out on a clear day, look up, and just see the stars above you …” he looked down. “Out here you can’t see jack shit.” 

Lukas nodded. “Yeah … everything seemed so much simpler … and smaller, back then.” They remained quiet for a few moments before Lukas broke the silence. “I miss our old home. I miss living in the country. Everything out here is so big and so dangerous …” 

He looked over at Jesse, a clearly concerned look crossing his face. His eyes seemed to gleam against the night sky. “Jesse? Are we gonna be okay …?” 

Jesse didn’t know how to respond. In the past week, they had nearly died twice. Once by their employers, and another by a serial killer. Back then, the only dangerous thing they had to worry about was a wild animal breaking into their house. Everything truly was big and dangerous here in the city. Soren certainly wasn’t joking when he said this job would be life changing. 

Jesse brought his hand to Lukas’ shoulder as the blonde looked over at him. Jesse gave him a half smile with a sympathetic look. “Look, we’re still shaken up from what happened today … it was … pretty traumatic.” he took a moment to plan his next sentence carefully. “Let’s just … get some sleep. We don’t need to tell the others about what happened, and we definitely don’t need to tell Soren and Ivor. Alright?” 

Lukas sighed with a nod. “Yeah, sure. Alright.” They continued on their way towards their apartment when a small smile crossed Lukas’ face. “I’m really glad I did it …” 

Jesse turned to his friend, raising a brow. “Glad you did it? Did what?” 

Lukas looked over at him, his smile growing a smidge. “I’m glad I started hanging out with you and your friends-- and ditched Aiden. He’s going with the wrong crowd nowadays, and seeing him here in this city only proves that fact. If I were still hanging out with them, well, I’d hate to say we may have never been friends.” 

Jesse nodded with a smile of his own. “I getcha now. Yeah, I don’t know what Aiden’s problem is, or why he was trying to become a mercenary. Probably has to do with his psychotic nature.” Jesse chuckled a bit at his own remark. “But, he has to be smart enough to stay away from Torque Dawg. From what we’ve heard, he’s the nastiest gang leader in Sky City.” 

“We can only hope, I suppose.” Lukas replied. “I’d hate to see what he’d be capable of if Torque Dawg got his hands on him. God, just thinking of that possibility skeeves me out …” 

“Let’s just get some sleep, alright Lukas?” 

Luckily for them, Axel was indeed awake when they got to the front door. Axel asked what had kept them, but they simply said that they were out late on a job. Thank God Axel believed them, because Jesse wasn’t really feeling explaining everything that had gone down that day. They simply took their shitty feelings and went to bed. Although, it wasn’t all pleasent dreams. Jesse clung to Reuben the entire night, and Lukas woke up several times in a cold sweat. This city was definitely proving to test their limits … 

\---

The next morning, they arrived promptly at Ivor and Soren’s office where they found the two senior mercenaries waiting for them. Both Jesse and Lukas had a groggy, sleepy look to them, at which Ivor obviously had to joke about. The black haired man sat atop the cluttered desk in one of his red dresses as he smirked at the boys. 

“Don’t you two look tired. Had a busy night once we dropped you off~?” 

Clearly getting the sex joke, Lukas rolled his eyes. Jesse played along in a similar joking manner, making Lukas retaliate with a million ‘no’s’. They kept what actually happened that night a secret-- for everyone’s good. They had discussed what would happen if they caught Cassie’s death on tv, but hopefully without any information about them being broadcasted, their bosses wouldn’t find out. Soren pushed Ivor off the desk as his heels clacked to the floor, turning and giving his partner and angry look. 

“Alright, so we’re ready to head out. We have your first job here, you two. Of course we’ll be there to assist you, but--” Soren was immediately cut off by Jesse. 

“Yeah, um, about that Soren … we kind of … misplaced our weapons.” Lukas glanced over at Jesse, actually really happy he remembered that. If they had to go into a job today without a weapon, it wouldn’t have ended great. 

Soren groaned angrily and slammed the binder containing info onto the desk. “They were two handguns-- how the FUCK did you lose two pistols!?” 

Both of them flinched at Soren’s yelling. He was definitely and easy person to tick off. Ivor walked over to Soren and tapped his shoulder. “We can’t go back to Magnus and Ellegaard quite yet, but … why not take them to the Pawn Shop? I’m sure we could get some deals on weapons there. Especially shitty pistols like they had.” 

An imaginary lightbulb went off in Soren’s head as he nodded at Ivor. “That’s actually not a bad idea for once, Ivor!” Ivor simply glared at him, realizing the insult. Soren glanced back at the boys with a smile. “And it’d give them a chance to meet even more of our affiliates. I think you two are going to like the Pawn Shop owners!” 

Jesse and Lukas both looked at Soren with confused expressions. Lukas crossed his arms and cocked his head as he asked his question. “Isn’t a Pawn Shop for like antiques and shit? Why would they have weapons that aren’t antiques?” 

“Oh, they do have antique weapons, Blonde Guy! And a bunch of other neat stuff! I may not look it, but I’m quite the reader in my spare time. That Pawn Shop holds the most vast collection of books I’ve ever seen.” Ivor closed his eyes to reminisce on the first time he had seen their vast collection of tomes, before getting back on topic. “My point being, yes, there’s antiques there. But, it’s fucking Sky City-- if there’s a shop that doesn’t sell at least a knife-- you’re screwed.” 

“Good point.” Lukas replied quickly. “Alright, well, looks like we’re heading there first?” 

“Still sucks that we managed to misplace our weapons.” Jesse looked over at Lukas, almost feeling bad for lying to their bosses. 

“Well, no matter,” Soren stood up and threw his blazer on over his shirt and tie. “This is just a quick pit stop. We can do this job after we visit the Pawn Shop, so here.” He threw the binder at Jesse who clumsily caught it. Luckily, no papers fell out. 

He opened to the first paper in the binder and read it alongside Lukas. It seemed simple enough, given all the dangerous work these two had to go through. It was a drug bust. Someone’s been holding down a meth lab somewhere in the city that the police had been neglecting. It was their job to get in, kill the guys and be on their merry way. 

Lukas sighed as he read that last bit. “Do we really need to kill them …? We can’t get them arrested?” 

Ivor shook his head. “How many times do I have to tell you, Blonde Guy? We aren’t affiliated with the SCPD. If we tried arresting them, we’d in turn get arrested. It’s kill or be killed in this city, kid.” 

Lukas went quiet after that. Just as Jesse was about to say something, Ivor shoved them out the door, ready to whisk them away to the Pawn Shop. 

\--- 

It didn’t take long to reach the Pawn Shop, and even seemed to be near Ellegaard and Magnus’ boutique. Once they arrived, a big billboard hung over the building that read “J and N: Pawn Shop”. Lukas shut the door to their car and looked up, confused. 

“J and N?” he asked. “What kind of weird ass name …?” 

“It’ll make sense once you meet the owners.” Soren explained. He turned back to the duo. “I think you’ll like these two. Although, the two of them can be a bit … eccentric.” 

Jesse’s confused look curved into a slightly curious smile. “Eccentric how …?” 

“Ohhhh, you’ll see. God knows we were taken back when we first came here.” Ivor replied, opening the door to the shop as everyone made their way in. 

As soon as they entered, the usual smell of a library hit their noses. Jesse, weirdly enough, felt right at home as soon as he walked in. Maybe it was the smell of a library that reminded him of home, or maybe it was the clutter of old traditional things everywhere. Nonetheless, it felt like home, and he loved it. 

“Yo, guys! You here!?” Soren called out, his voice echoing in the place. “We need to talk business quick!” 

A distant muffled voice could be heard echo through the articles spread about. Within minutes, a Villager wearing a greenish-grey trench coat with a green feather hat appeared from behind some items. He greeted the store’s visitors with a “hrm”. 

Lukas and Jesse stared in disbelief. Was a Villager really running a shop? Lukas inched closer to Jesse and whispered in his ear. “I thought Villagers were stupid …? Why is one working here?” 

Ivor heard Lukas whisper and smacked the back of his head. “Now that was rude and uncalled for! Just because he’s a Villager, doesn’t mean he’s not smart! Oh, if his partner were around, you’d never hear the end of it!” 

The Villager agreed with an angered “Hrm!” He turned away from them and called out to someone else. All the while Jesse and Lukas turned back to their bosses. 

“So is he the eccentric one?” Jesse asked, a smile curving on his face. 

Soren shook his head and crossed his arms. “Wait for it. Ring that buzzer on the desk there.” Soren pointed to a nearby counter with a cash register. 

Jesse raised a brow as he walked over and pressed it, hearing a buzz echo out through the shop. He glanced over at Lukas who had just as confused a look as Jesse, then back at Soren and Ivor. A few seconds later, a voice came from beyond some rubbish. A man stood, arm against it, posing in a cool way. Jesse and Lukas looked on in wonder. 

“Welcome to Jack and Nurm’s Pawn Shop.” the man said, in a deep voice. “You pushed the button? Very, very brave.” 

Lukas and Jesse looked at one another with smiles from cheek to cheek, cringing at how dorky this guy was being. 

“The gangs of the East Side call me ‘The Stab Walker’. The gangs of the West Side call me ‘He Who Slashes like Thunder’.” he said mysteriously before turning around to them. “But, you may call me … Jack!” 

The figure turned around, revealing a bearded man about Ivor and Soren’s age. He had an eyepatch over his left eye, and one blue eye. He wore a blue tank top with a red belt and jeans with boots. On his shirt had a clip that said “J + N: Pawn Shop”. He looked like the very essence of an adventurer. At least, Jesse and Lukas would’ve been in awe at how cool he looked-- if he hadn’t made a complete ass out of himself. They were outright dying of laughter, which ultimately made Ivor and Soren chuckle. 

Trying to regain himself from his laughing fit, Lukas began mocking Jack, imitating his deep, brooding voice. “They call me “THE STAB WALKER”!” he exclaimed, relying on a nearby shelf for support as tears began welling up in his eyes. 

“Oh my God, no no,” Jesse replied quickly, clearing his throat. “They call me “HE WHO SLASHES LIKE THUNDER”!” Jesse tried regaining himself as well, but only made himself laugh harder. Jack simply look on with an annoyed expression as the other shop owner brought his sleeve up to muffle a chuckle. Jack looked beside the two newcomers to see Ivor and Soren. He simply rolled his eyes as he walked past the laughing mess. 

“Of course it’s you two. Only you two would let two kids laugh at how amazing I am.” Jack explained, walking behind the desk. The Villager joined his side. Once Lukas and Jesse had completely regained themselves, Jack looked back in their direction. 

“Anyways, enough of that bullshit. My name is Jack, and this is Nurm; my other half.” he said, introducing both himself and the Villager beside him. Nurm simply nodded, showing he understood everything. “He’s the genius behind all this craps organization. Anyways, what can I do ya for?” 

Soren lay his arms up against the desk as Ivor motioned for Jesse and Lukas to go nex to him. Soren raised a hand to talk to both of them. “Alright, so here’s the deal. We need some handguns to give to our new apprentices-- little shits went up and lost their old ones.” 

Both Jack and Nurm glanced over at Jesse and Lukas, smiles curving on their face. Nurm spoke his Villager tongue at the two mercenaries, clearly confused by his tone. Jack nodded at him. “I agree, Nurm. These two are your apprentices? They look a little … soft … don’t you think?” 

That must’ve struck a nerve, because immediately after, Lukas slammed down a hand on the desk. Jesse looked on, confused as to why he seemed so angry so suddenly. 

“I’m so sick and tired of everyone saying that! I’m here to prove that I can actually do this! Do you have our weapons or not!?” 

“Why you little shit--” Jack was about to go off on Lukas, but was ultimately restrained by Nurm. Jack took a breath before nodding at Nurm. It seemed Nurm worked as Jack’s restraints, which was good when it came to a man like Jack. “Whatever. Yeah, I got the weapons you need. Nurm, mind go and fetching them?” 

The Villager nodded with another”Hrm!” and took off behind the clutter. Jack turned back to Soren and Ivor to chat. While they were busy talking, Lukas began searching around the clutter, looking at the different antiques and items they had in this Pawn Shop. Jesse walked over to him and Lukas pulled an old looking journal off the shelf. 

“Hey, how come you were acting so hostile?” Jesse asked. “You did that back at Gabriel’s too. Is something the matter?” 

Lukas stayed quiet for a moment, shifting through the blank pages in the journal before turning back to Jesse. “God, Jesse-- I just wanna be able to do something I can be proud of. Up until I met you, I was the leader of delinquents. I’m not proud of that part of my life. I just want people to look up to us-- stop treating us like kids. If we can just prove we can make good mercenaries … maybe I’d start being a little more proud of myself? I dunno …” 

Jesse gave him a smile. “Well, for the record, I’m proud of you. You decided to do this mercenary work with me even at the risks. Who knows? Maybe doing this will boost your self esteem. After you left Aiden, it kind of seemed to … plummet? Maybe this’ll bring it back!” 

 

Lukas smiled back. “I really hope your right Jesse …” he looked back down at the journal he held in his hands. “You know? It’d be kind of nice to document our experiences from here on out. Maybe I should buy this, so when we do become famous mercenaries, we can look back at this and reminisce on the good old days …” 

Jesse nodded, happily. “I think that’s a great idea, Lukas! And, maybe someday we’ll get our own apprentices and we can show them this!” Before their conversation could continue any further, Nurm returned with two pistols that seemed to be in good shape. Jesse and Lukas returned to the counter. 

For a few minutes, Ivor and Soren haggled at the prices, lowering them super low, only for Jack and Nurm to bring the price back up. Eventually, they all settled on a price and the guns were given to them with no problems, as well as Lukas’ journal-- with only minor insults tossed at him by Ivor. They said their farewells to Jack and Nurm, and headed off, knowing for sure that they’d never forget that duo. They hopped back into Soren and Ivor’s fancy convertible and headed on their way-- to their first job as mercenaries! 

\--- 

It was late by the time they had finally gotten to the place of their mission. They parked the car a ways down the street as to not draw any attention. Both Lukas and Jesse clung to their weapons with a death grip on them-- fingers always on the triggers. This side of town already seemed to resonate badly with them. It seemed like a place people would get murdered -- and also looked a lot like the place Jesse and Lukas had been taken in by Cassie Rose. 

The buildings seemed very run down. From the crumbling brick buildings to smashed windows, it looked like a place no one would dare live, and yet, here people were-- living in these shitty buildings. Ahead of them, Soren and Ivor argued quietly-- probably about the loud clacking of Ivor’s heels that’d give them away. All the while, both Jesse and Lukas’ hearts thumped out of their chest with every step closer they took. 

They finally stopped in front of the house they were assigned. The smell of weed filled the air-- but to Lukas and Jesse, all they smelled was the disgusting smell of a skunk. Both smells were very similar, but very different indeed. Jesse looked ahead and whispered to his team. 

“So, what’s the plan? Do we … just go in? Guns a’ blazing?” he asked, his hands shakily clutching his weapon. “It seems dark inside … and very quiet … what if they already know we’re here?” 

“Don’t worry so much, Jesse.” Soren said, glancing back. “Just let this happen. You two cover the back, and we’ll cover the front. Once everyone’s dead, we’ll bail before the police arrive. Got it?” 

Before either of them could reply, Soren and Ivor rushed forward, breaking down the door with one blow. Lukas and Jesse followed suit, feeling terror build up inside of them. But, as soon as they were inside, Soren and Ivor just stopped. It was dark-- no lights or anything. But the smell of the drugs got worse upon opening the door. 

Lukas winced at the smell and shakily looked behind them in case they were about to be jumped. The light from the opened door provided some light, so they weren’t in total darkness-- yet. Soren urged Ivor to take the left and he’d take the right. Soren motioned for Jesse and Lukas to stay at the door and keep their eyes open. They did just that, as Lukas faced outside and Jesse faced towards the inside-- both back to back. Everything is silent. Soren and Ivor mustn’t have found anything yet because no shots had been fired. Just as Lukas was about to think there was no one here, guns were heard! Jesse and Lukas stuck close together, fingers shaking as they glanced around, looking to see who was shooting. 

It came from further in the house-- and shouting could be heard! It was Soren and Ivor, and they must have found the residents! Jesse was about to insist they go and find their bosses, when he saw a shadowy figure creeping behind Lukas from outside. In the figure’s hand he spotted a knife. Without any time to react he raised his weapon. 

“Lukas!!” he cried, pointing the weapon behind him. Lukas stared wide eyed at him and peered behind him. Just as he saw the figure behind him, he dove out of the way and let Jesse take the shot. He wasn’t a good shot, and yet he had hit his target dead on-- in the head. 

The body fell limp and hit the ground as blood gushed on to the stoop outside. Jesse stared on in shock as the gun fell from his hand. His hands shook violently, and he tried forming a cohesive sentence. Nothing came out except panicked murmurs and gasps. Tears welled up in Jesse’s eyes as he looked towards Lukas. 

“L-Lukas … I … I killed him.” he brought his hands to his forehead and pushed back his bangs. “Oh fuck, I-I killed … I kill him!!” Just as Lukas was about to comfort him, Soren and Ivor came running back out of the darkness. They hadn’t realized, but the gunshots had stopped after Jesse shot this man. 

“We need to go before the police show up!” Ivor exclaimed, running out onto the stoop, only to slip. He had fallen forward, only to be saved by the railing on the stoop. Blood poured down the steps as he realized that was what he slipped on. He then noticed a terrified, shocked Jesse. 

“Jesse …?” Ivor asked, glancing at the dead man in front of him. “Did you actually kill him?” He would’ve been proud in that moment if Jesse didn’t look like a mess. In that moment, they had to leave-- as fast as they could. Soren and Lukas grabbed Jesse and forced him into the car. They made their escape just in time, leaving a path of murder in their wake. 

\---

When they got out of the car, Soren handed them their card key to get into their apartment. Lukas had completely forgotten about this and thanked them. All three of them watched as Jesse slowly made his way towards the entrance to their complex. Lukas looked on, worried at him and Ivor cocked his head a bit. 

“Hey, is he going to be alright? Jesse always seemed to have the thicker skin of you two.” Ivor asked, actually worried for once. “Perhaps you two should take it easy --” 

Soren immediately spoke up. “No. Jesse knew what he was getting into. I told him this would happen. It’s his own damn fault he’s acting like this.” he looked at Lukas with a strict look. “Be at our office on time tomorrow. Take tonight to help Jesse get over himself, Lukas.” 

Lukas would’ve retaliated against them for saying those things about Jesse, but he simply nodded. “Alright. You two be safe getting home …” 

“When aren’t we.” Soren said, before putting the car in gear and speeding off down the road. Lukas turned to catch up with Jesse who was already in the lobby. They stayed quiet the entire elevator ride up, and upon entering their roommates were glad to see them. 

“Hey guys, how goes day 3 of Mercenaryhood?” Axel asked, coming up with a completely new word. The three of them were sitting on the couch, in their casual wear apparently getting ready for bed. 

“Kick anybody’s ass today?” Petra asked, glancing over at them. 

Olivia seemed to be the only one to notice Jesse looking very, very off. “Hey, Jesse … are you alright?” 

Jesse just shook his head and ignored his friends, walking towards his room. Lukas sighed and walked over to their friends. 

“Our first couple of days have been really rough, guys …” Lukas explained. “We didn’t want to have to tell you, but …” 

Lukas spent some time explaining their first couple of days. He explained all the work they had to do, getting kidnapped by Cassie Rose, and about the drug bust today. Needless to say, everyone was in shock and clearly angry that they hadn’t told them sooner. At this point, everyone was worried about them-- telling them to quit their jobs and that they could find somewhere else to work. Lukas said he would handle it, walking off to find Jesse, leaving his roommates with a ‘goodnight’.

He found the door to Jesse’s room closed and knocked on it before entering. This seemed all too familiar, as just days earlier, he had pulled the same stunt-- running off to his room to pout. 

“Jesse? It’s Lukas … I’m coming in …” he opened the door slowly to find the room in darkness, aside from the light outside that illuminated in through the window. He found Jesse sitting in the dark, Reuben oinking happily in his lap as he scratched between his ears. 

Lukas sat beside him on the bed and waited for Lukas to say something. He never did though. He finally mustered up the courage to talk to him and gently brought his hand to his shoulder. 

“Jesse? Are you okay?” he asked, shaking him a little bit. Reuben glanced up after feeling the shaking, oinking at Jesse clearly confused as to why he stopped his scratching. “Jesse, please, talk to me …” 

Without warning, Jesse just lost it. He started sobbing and breaking down in front of Lukas and Reuben. Reuben, who was terrified at the sudden outburst, jumped out of his lap and hopped down onto the floor, recoiling at the loud noises. Jesse placed his elbows on his knees and buried his face into his hands, pushing back his bangs and trying to pull himself together. He tried forming cohesive sentences, but all that came out was sob after sob and heavy breathing. 

Lukas was genuinely terrified. He had never seen Jesse like this. Jesse was one to always keep his cool, and never let the stress of the moment get to him. Granted, Jesse was a good soul-- and never wanted to hurt anyone. He strived for peace-- and even back home, he was the peacekeeper in town. Killing that man today, it changed Jesse-- and now seeing him like this, it was hard to witness. 

“Hey, hey … come on,” Lukas said, placing his hand on Jesse’s back and rubbing in circular motions, trying to calm him down. “Calm down, Jesse … it’s gonna be okay …” 

 

“No it’s not …” Jesse muffled, almost inaudibly. “I fucking … k-killed someone today …” he sobbed harder after saying that, wishing he could pull himself together. He hated this. It had never happened before, so why now of all times? And why in front of Lukas of all people? “I’m … I’m not a bad person, Lukas … I didn’t want to kill him …” 

“Jesse, it was in self defense … you kept him from killing me …” Lukas said, scooting closer and continuing to comfort him. “I’d be dead if it weren’t for you. You saved my life!” 

Although he was still crying, his sobs became less harsh and he was finally beginning to calm down, albeit rather slowly. 

“If we’re going to get through this Jesse, we gotta toughen our skin a little bit …” Lukas explained. “Jack was right … we’re too soft for our own good …” He looked over at Jesse, smiling, although you couldn’t see in the darkness. “This is gonna be grueling, and difficult on us … but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re good people, Jesse. You’re a good guy-- I’ve known this since I first met you.” 

Jesse sat up, and rested his arms on his lap. His cheeks gleamed in the moonlight as they were wet with tears still. Every so often hiccups and gasps would escape him as he tried calming down. Lukas took his hand away from Jesse’s back and looked at him. Reuben also came back, sitting at Jesse’s feet and oinking up at him. 

“You’re not alone Jesse. You have me, Reuben, all of our friends here, and believe it or not Soren and Ivor-- as well as all of their friends.” he explained. “We’re gonna get through this. We gotta do it for ourselves, and for Petra, Axel, and Olivia ... “ 

Jesse nodded, not saying a word. Lukas sighed and opened his arms wide, offering his friend a hug. Jesse couldn’t deny and gave Lukas the biggest hug in return. He shakily wrapped his arms around Lukas and buried his head into the nape of his neck. Tears rolled off of his cheeks and onto Lukas’ neck. He almost felt like crying himself 

“Thank you, Lukas …” Jesse whimpered quietly. “Thank you so much …” 

Lukas simple laughed as he held Jesse. “Come on, Jesse … you know I’ll always be here for you. Right, Reuben? The both of us will.” 

Reuben oinked in agreement as he hopped back onto the bed and plopped into both of their laps. Jesse chuckled before giving way to even more tears.

Mercenary work was proving to be very difficult. They had almost died twice, the jobs caused panic attacks, and Soren wasn’t lying. It’s torture. Jesse had nearly given up on his own words to Lukas. Could they really go through with this? Each day was proving to get worse and worse as time went on …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone loves angsty fluff, that's why I do my best to include it~ 
> 
> Also, Jack and Nurm were so fun to write here. I had a lot of trouble figuring out how I'd use Nurm's character, but I ultimately decided to make him mute, aside from the occasional "hrm". Also, fun fact: Villagers are seen as 'stupid' in society within this AU, which is why Nurm and Ivor reacted the way they did to Lukas' accusations.


	6. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four finally meet up with Reginald and Milo in a very bad position. It's up to Soren and Ivor's wits to get them all out safe and sound.

The sun peaked in through the window and onto Jesse’s face, causing him to flinch awake. He let out a muffled groan-- he wasn’t able to get any sleep at all the night before. And, if by some miraculous chance he did fall asleep, he’d be tormented with nightmares. He lay there, face buried in his pillow, not wanting to get up and face the day. If he had to go through what he went through yesterday again today-- would he even be able to do it again? Lukas was able to cheer him up last night, even just a little bit, but now every emotion imaginable came rushing back. Anger, confusion, horror, sadness … he just couldn’t deal with what he had done. 

Reuben had noticed Jesse wake up and from his sleeping position at the foot of the bed, he made his way towards Jesse, oinking happily to greet his sleepy owner. He pushed up against Jesse, nuzzling in closer for warmth. Jesse gave his pet a smile and pat on the head, but even so, he still felt like crap. 

“Suppose I should get up and embrace the day, huh, Reuben?” he asked, tearing off the sheets and sitting up right. Once again, he found himself in a familiar position-- elbows on his knees, and hands brushing through his hair, trying to come to terms with the night before. Once again, Reuben nudged him with his snout, oinking in confusion. Jesse simply sighed and got up, getting ready for the day. 

He walked out into the kitchen, which connected easily and conveniently with the living room. No one was up-- must’ve been too early for the others-- especially Axel. He walked over to the coffee maker and started brewing something, hoping to wake himself up. As he waited for the coffee to brew, he heard a door close in the hallway. A few seconds later, Lukas emerged in the kitchen. He and Jesse shared glances before Jesse looked away. Lukas simply glanced down as he headed for the bar sitting place in their kitchen. Jesse simply ignored him for the time being. 

After moments of agonizing silence, Lukas finally spoke up. “Jesse, how’re you doing?” He spoke up in a soft tone, almost comforting. Jesse remained quiet until the coffee maker dinged. Once he poured his drink, he walked over to Lukas and sat down beside him. He finally shrugged, giving Lukas an answer. 

“I’m fine, I guess.” he replied, taking a sip of his hot drink. “I have to be if I’m going to be a mercenary, right?” 

“Well, you don’t need to be so stoic about it either.” Lukas rubbed the back of his head and glanced out the window. “That was tough on you-- you don’t need to hold all that in, ok, Jesse?” 

Jesse sighed and looked over at Lukas. “Look, Lukas, I appreciate what you’re trying to do-- but it’s like you said last night … we don’t have tough skin. If we’re going to make it in this city, we need to toughen up. Both of us.” 

Lukas glanced away after being reminded of his somewhat harsh words last night. At the time it seemed like the best thing to say, but now he wasn’t so sure. “I suppose you’re right. Just-- don’t forget you have feelings. Don’t become a cold-blooded killer like Soren and Ivor, alright? One of the things I admire most about you is the humanity you have for others.” 

Jesse rolled his eyes and chuckled a bit. “Alright, Lukas. Whatever you say. Can I enjoy my off-brand coffee before we have to go now? Or do you want to be even more sentimental?” 

Lukas let a laugh escape him as well. “Just trying to help is all.” 

They were able to leave before the others woke up, which was fine by Jesse, as he didn’t want to have to explain anything or talk to any of them about last night. He was glad his friends cared and were concerned for everything that was happening, but he just needed to think out things on his own. They left early, and yet people were already up and working. People had begun working on the roads outside of their complex. Annoying truck noises, and the horrible smell of tar filled the air. Lukas brought his hand to his nose and mouth to cover them from the stench. 

“One of the many things I miss about the country -- with all the dirt paths, we never had to worry about this awful tar smell …” he explained, gagging at the horrid smell. 

“God, I hope there isn’t construction all over the city …” Jesse said, beginning to worry again. “It could make our escape troubling.” 

“Oh, shoot … that’s right. Although, Soren and Ivor know their way around the city. They’ve been here for a long time after all; so I’m sure they know the way.” 

Without much conversation, they finally made it to Soren and Ivor’s place. When they walked in, surprising enough, they found Ivor sitting at the desk. Ivor glanced up and gave the duo a half smile and a friendly wave. Well, as friendly as Ivor can get, that is. 

Jesse glanced around the room, unable to locate their other boss. “Where’s Soren? Did he go out?” 

“No, no, he’s here.” Ivor said, glancing at some paperwork. “He’s upstairs, taking his sweet ass time to get ready. He should be down in a moment.” 

Lukas rolled his eyes as he sat down on one of the benches provided for customers. “And here he was telling us to be up at the crack ass of dawn to be ready for him.” 

Ivor snickered at Lukas’ sass. “Ehh, you get used to it. After years, and years of knowing Soren-- you truly do get used to it.” He set the paper down and leaned back with a stretch before facing the kids again. “So, you both remembered your weapons this time right?” 

Jesse instinctively looked down at his belt loop to see his pistol strapped in securely. He nodded at Ivor as Lukas did the same. Ivor nodded back. “Good, good. We’re doing another drug bust today, so be on your guard once again. It’ll be light outside because we’re doing it during the day.” 

Jesse gulped and felt himself grow nervous again. Another drug bust? Just his luck. If things go how they did last night … 

Lukas looked over at Jesse and noticed him tensing up. He saw his eyes staring at the ceiling, and he almost looked like a deer caught in headlights. He simply brought his hand over to his friend’s arm which made him snap back into reality. Jesse looked over at Lukas and watched him mouth the words, ‘Are you going to be okay?’ Jesse sighed and reluctantly nodded. 

Ivor noticed Jesse’s miniature panic attack and gave a smile as he flicked the pen he held in his hand. “Jesse, I meant to say yesterday that I was proud of your kill last night. Very impressive.”

Jesse sighed shakily. “Uh … thanks, Ivor …” he clenched his fists as Lukas continued looking at him worriedly. 

Ivor finally stopped and sighed as well. “I also wanted to ask if you were alright. Soren and I can be hard asses for sure, but …” he stood up from the chair and walked over, arms folded in as he stood in front of Jesse. Jesse simply looked up at Ivor with wide eyes, “I was an ass when I said it before, but, I meant it. This job isn’t for everyone. There’s no shame in calling it quits.” 

Jesse swallowed a lump in his throat, picking his words carefully before continuing. “No, I’m going through with it. Jack said himself that Lukas and I are soft. If we’re going to make it in this city, even if we give up on being mercenaries-- we’re going to need to toughen our skin. I’ll be fine.” 

“Jesse …” Lukas said quietly. Jesse glanced over at him, forcing a smile on his face, assuring him that he’d be okay. Lukas simply nodded, accepting that fact. 

Ivor smiled. “You’re both brave, that’s for sure. After that night we first met, anybody else would’ve stayed clear of us. But, you both came back. Desperate sons of bitches.” he turned back to the desk where he tucked the paperwork into one of the drawers in the desk. “Actually, funny thing is-- before we came to the city, Soren was the biggest--”

Just before Ivor could finish, a door closed out in the hallway as Soren stepped into the room. He looked at everyone who had comfortably been waiting for him. He walked over to the desk to speak with Ivor. 

“You finished the paperwork?” he asked, raising a brow. Ivor nodded before handing off today’s mission to his partner. Soren took it in hand and skimmed over it. He then looked over at his apprentices. “Sorry I kept you waiting. You two ready for your mission this time?” 

“As ready as ever.” Jesse replied, standing up and heading for the door. “Another drug bust, right? Anything different about this one?” 

Soren glanced at the paper one more time. “It seems it’s a smaller one, so it may not be as intense as last night. If we’re not threatened, we may not have to resort to killing this time.” 

Jesse sighed in relief, feeling a massive weight lifted off of his chest. Surprsingly enough, a smile grew on Lukas’ face, after seeing Jesse relieved. 

“Well, what’re we waiting for?” Lukas asked. “Let’s head out! We’ve been waiting for you, Soren! Get your ass in gear, old man!” 

Soren scoffed at his sass. “Watch your mouth, Lukas. Don’t forget I’m your boss-- I can fire you whenever I fucking want.” 

Lukas laughed, followed by a rolling of the eyes before walking outside. The others grabbed their things and headed outside as well, hopping into the car and driving off for their next mission! 

\---

In the back seat, both Lukas and Jesse were actually pretty excited for this mission. Mostly due to the fact that they most likely wouldn’t have to kill anyone this time. Jesse was only a tad bit worried this time, but with Lukas and Ivor cracking jokes at each other, his tension was lifted just a tad. Soren glanced back at them as he drove. 

“Get your weapons ready just in case.” he said, over the roar of the car. “You never know if some crazy guy’s gonna jump out and have his way with you.” 

Their apprentices both nodded and grabbed their pistols, readying themselves. It had taken them a while to get to their destination, due to all the traffic work. Jesse began having a sinking feeling in his gut. If this construction work was still going on, their escape route may really be bad. Just as Soren turned the corner, Ivor suddenly put his arm in front of Soren. 

“Woah, woah, woah!!” he cried. Soren slammed on the breaks, sending everyone flying forward. Lukas and Jesse slammed into the back of Soren and Ivor’s seats, groaning in pain. They looked ahead once they regained themselves. They stared in awe as police cars had the place surrounded. Police officers came out of the building with the drug dealers, with their hands behind their heads. 

“Shit, Soren, we need to leave! NOW!” Ivor cried, “Reverse, reverse!” 

Before Soren could even shift into reverse, the extra police were already taking form around Soren and Ivor’s car. Jesse and Lukas watched in utter shock as they were surrounded, watching Soren curse under his breath. 

From a police car emerged two men-- the heads of the department-- Reginald and Milo. And in that moment, Lukas and Jesse’s hearts sank. They tried their best to hide, but with the cops aiming weapons at them, they couldn’t exactly do that. 

Reginald approached, his weapon drawn as Milo followed, one hand on his weapon and the other dangling at his side. 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Milo and Reggie.” Ivor said, his voice sounding angry-- toxic even. “Looks like you stole our drug bust from us.” 

“I told you before asshole, it’s fucking Reginald.” Reginald held his gun up, approaching the mercenaries. Suddenly, he noticed the kids they had saved earlier in the week behind them in the car. Reginald’s eyes widened. “You fucking kidnapped … kids!?” 

“Yeah, aren’t those the two we rescued from Cassie Rose?” Milo asked rather casually. Soren and Ivor both raised a brow at the men, staring at them in confusion. 

“We didn’t do anything of the sort, officers,” Ivor explained. “They’re simply our apprentices.” 

And just like that, both Lukas and Jesse felt Reginald’s gaze on them-- burning through them like a fire. Milo’s eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face. 

“Ohhhhhh-- so that explains why they didn’t want to give us their informaaaatiooooon.” He gave a chuckle and looked over at Reginald. “They’re pretty slick, eh, Reggie?” 

“Shut up, Milo! We’ve been tricked either way! Whether or not we saved them, you four are under arrest.” He approached Ivor’s side of the car slowly, drawing his weapon. “Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be. Get out of the car slowly.” 

Ivor simply sighed. “Whatever you say, Offcier.” Ivor opened the car door slowly, and just as Reginald was about to grab for him, he pulled out his own weapon and shot it off in Reginald’s direction-- just barely grazing his cheek. 

The man cried out in pain as he held his cheek, and Soren took this utter confusion to turn the car into reverse and back up, treading over policemen as he went. Shots fired from the policemen as he backed up and once he was far enough away, he did the most creative U-turn imaginable and high tailed it out of there. However, shortly after, police sirens could be heard closing in on them. 

Soren hit the steering wheel furiously. “You had a run in with Reggie and Milo!? Are you fucking kidding me!?” he cried. “Of all the people!!” 

Jesse raised his over as the sounds of sirens grew closer. “What do you want from me, Soren!? Cassie Rose fucking kidnapped us and held us at gunpoint! They showed up and saved our asses. You should be lucky we withheld information from them!” 

“And at the time of them rescuing us, we had no idea it was even them! Give us a beak, dammit!” Lukas yelled, over the car’s screeches. 

Soren was about to argue back, but before he could, he noticed an obstacle in their path. A big, cement ramp right in their way. With Reggie and Milo on their asses, if they stopped, they’d be captured for sure. Ivor glanced over at Soren, who had a smile creeping on his face. He shift the car into a different gear and began speeding up. Ivor knew exactly what he was doing and prayed the car wouldn’t blow to smithereens. 

Lukas moved his head to glance forward, being wary of any incoming gunfire as he ducked down. He saw Soren speeding right for the ram and his eyes widen as they were fast approaching it. 

“Soren, there’s a ramp!!” Lukas cried, “SOREN, RAMP! WATCH OUT!” He was screaming at this point, wondering what the Hell this man was doing. He was downright insane! Lukas looked over at Jesse who had a big smile on his face as they approached their destination. 

“How can you be smiling right now!? If this goes wrong, the car’s gonna explode!” Lukas screamed. 

“I’m actually really fucking nervous right now!” Jesse replied, smile never leaving. Lukas was convinced he was surrounded by psychopaths. He stared on in fear as they were right on top of the ramp. Within seconds, they hit it and were launched into the air. Construction workers watched on in fear and awe as the car took flight. Reginald slammed on the breaks and got out of his own car, taking aim and shooting at their car. Nothing seemed to happen however as they landed on the other side and sped away. 

Reginald grit his teeth and threw his pistol to the ground. “FUCK!” he cried, looking back at Milo who found his way out of the car. He smiled as he watched them speed off. “Well, they’re stubborn, I’ll give them that. Especially that Soren. Wonder how the kids got saddled with a job like that anyways.” 

“Whatever. We got the druggies … let’s head back to the station.” Reginald said, bringing his hand up to wipe away the blood on his cheek. “One of these days, we’ll get those fuckers …” 

 

Soren finally turned into a secluded alleyway and they were finally able to catch their breath. Ivor and Soren glanced back at their apprentices, only to see Lukas and Jesse with their hair all kerfuffled with mixed expressions. Lukas looked like he’d be sick, and Jesse sat their giggling. Jesse finally looked forward with a big smile. 

“Please tell me we can do that again!” he begged. 

Soren and Ivor simply glared at them. 

\---

“Ok, you’re going to tell us everything. Starting from when we dropped your asses off.” Soren said to them, sitting at the desk. Ivor sat atop the desk, sharing the glare at their apprentices. 

“We need our card key from you guys, so we decided to head back. Cassie Rose jumped us, gave us a scare, and Milo and Reggie showed up.” Jesse explained, glancing up at them with a sincere look. 

“We swear we didn’t give them any information. Once we found out it was them, we just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Hell, I kinda wished Cassie Rose had done away with us at that point.” Lukas added, rubbing the back of his head. 

Soren and Ivor looked at each other before each sighing. Ivor turned back to them and raised his hand, giving emotion into what he was saying. “You do know that if they found out it was you, anybody affiliated with us would be in danger too, correct?” 

Lukas looked up at him, confused by what he meant. “What do you mean?” 

“Your roomates, Gabriel, Ellegaard and Magnus, Jack and Nurm-- they’re all affiliated with us, so if any of us gets arrested or word gets out about us, then they’re fucked as well.” Soren added in. He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Of all the people, you had to run into them …” 

Jesse shrugged. “I mean, at least Cassie Rose is dead, right? Isn’t that a plus?” 

“We would’ve gotten money if we killed her, Jesse!” Ivor raised his voice at him, leaving Jesse flinching away from him. Ivor hopped off the desk and sighed. “Whatever. What’s done is done. You two know never to do it again.” Lukas and Jesse simply nodded quickly, getting the message. 

Soren stood up and threw his blazer on. “We’ll bring you home so you don’t end up getting arrested by them. You both lay low until Monday, and we’ll see you back here, bright and early, got it?” 

“Got it.” They both replied in both very monotone voices. 

Well, their cover had been blown, and now word got out that they were indeed the apprentices of the city’s biggest mercenaries. Thank god the police didn’t know where they lived. If worse came to worse, they’d all have to move out, and they’d hate for that to be the case. Everyone worked so hard to get that penthouse-- that luxury-- only for it to be taken away like this. 

They could only hope that things would continue to work out in their favor. So far, so good. They had until Monday morning to recollect themselves. Then it would start again from the top …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt this series needed just a little bit more comedy, which is why Jesse and Lukas act they way they do during the car chase scene -w- b 
> 
> Next chapter we'll learn more about Milo and Reggie and what their own motives are.


	7. Making Rounds

“I can’t believe those idiots would pull a stunt like that!” Reginald cried, hopping back into the car, slamming the door hard. Milo simply shrugged. Today could’ve gone better, but at least they were walking away with four different criminals. He got into the car all the same as Reginald sped off towards the station. 

“We may not have gotten lucky with getting Soren and Ivor, but, at least we managed to get those five at the drug bust.” Milo said with a smile on his face. “That’s gotta count for something, right? I mean, they’ve been beating us to every criminal or felony thus far-- it’s about time something worked in our favor.” 

Reginald never took his eyes off the road, staring intently and angrily forward. “I won’t rest until those fuckers are behind bars, Milo. How the Hell can you be so lax about them? What they’re doing is more illegal than some stupid drug bust!” 

Milo simply sighed and looked out the window of their police car. “Honestly, I think it’s a good thing they’re taking care of the crime we can’t get to. If it were me, I’d affiliate with them. Isa’s going about this all wrong.” 

Reginald glared at his partner. “Don’t you dare talk shit about Isa. Working for her city is a pleasure and an honor! You show no respect towards the woman, and she’s the one who gave you a damn job!” He turned his head back to the road and shook his head. “Without me at your side, you would’ve never gotten into the force.” 

“And I thank you for that, buddy ol’ pal.” Milo said, tapping the top of Reginald’s hat playfully. Reginald swatted him away as soon as he felt his hand come into contact. “But, Reggie, Sky City is huge-- and with all this crime going on, we need to be at least A LITTLE thankful for all they’re doing.” 

“I’ll never be thankful for those lowlives. And as soon as we find out where those two kids live, we’re arresting them immediately.” 

Milo gave up and simply sighed in defeat. Reginald was always like this-- never wanting to listen. His job was important to him, and he looked up to Isa more than anything. There was no getting through to him, and if he ever did, it’d be because the world was ending. No matter, with the criminals with them, they took off for the station to lock them up. 

\---

The station was smack dab in the center of the city, and it was here that the characters from the drug bust would stay overnight before taken to see the warren in the morning. The actual jail lay on the outskirts of the city, and the jail was massive to say the least. When you have a city as big as Sky City, there needs to be. But for now, the criminals were staying at the station. 

Reginald pulled up in the car, watching as the other police showed up nearby with the convicts in their car. He turned to Milo as he opened the door. “After we review some shit here, we’ll head to City Hall. I need to have a word with Isa.” 

“Whatever you say, Reggie. You’re the one who calls the shots around here.” he replied, only to have the door slammed in his face. Ouch. He got out and followed him into the building where plenty of other police officers rushed about, finishing up their day. Milo watched as his co workers brought in the arrested criminals. They disappeared down one of the halls as they were taken to their cells. 

Reginald and Milo made their way towards a room which was what Reginald called their ‘base of operations’. Inside this small room was a whiteboard with photographs of Soren, Ivor, and their accomplices plastered all over. Information and details about them were written all over in an organized mess. Milo sat down lazily in one of the chairs as Reginald went over the pictures and information again. 

“So, as we know, Soren and Ivor do have accomplices-- and it’s not just the kids.” Reginald explained. “Magnus, Ellegaard, Gabriel, and the pawn shop owners are all under the spectrum. Soren and Ivor spend a great deal of time with these people, so they should be thoroughly investigated.” 

“You’re telling me stuff I already know, dude.” Milo retorted back, flicking his wrist at Reginald. “You act as if I haven’t been your partner for well over two years. I know who they spend time with and who they don’t, but no matter what, there’s no proof that shows they’re affiliated with Soren and Ivor.” 

Reginald removed his hat and scratched at his head, trying to ignore what Milo had to say. Sometimes, his partner truly was annoying. However, it was true. They had investigated Gabriel and the two duos many times, but they never gave any information about the mercenaries. Perhaps they truly didn’t have anything to do with them-- or they were just covering themselves up with facades. 

“No matter, now we do know that those two do I have new accomplices.” he put his hat back on firmly before crossing his arms at Milo. “The two kids. We never got their names, but at least we know what they look like. After all, they were the ones who led us to Cassie Rose.” 

“Not to mention we sort of know where they live.” Milo replied with a half smile. “Of course, they very well could’ve been bullshitting us. Notice how they had us stop in the middle of a street with the nearest apartment several blocks away? They could’ve been trying to decieve us once they found out who we were.” 

Reginald nodded, pacing back and forth, thinking of what Milo offered to him for information. “That is true, and if we do find out where they live, we don’t want to stir anything up if they do live in an apartment complex.” he stopped and turned back to his partner. “That being said, we also can’t just let them walk freely. If they’re allied with Soren and Ivor, then they’re equally as dangerous. We can’t be deceived by them, even if they are kids.” 

“You keep saying kids, but they look well into their twenties, Reggie. They’re not kids, man, and I’m sure they could get a good hit on us if we’re not careful.” he shrugged as he sat up, his half smile never fading. “Just sayin’.” 

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. We can’t be deceived by them.” he returned to the whiteboard, taking one of the markers and writing the name of the street they dropped the boys off on, as well as two squares for any photographs or evidence he and Milo come across. “One of these days, Milo, we’ll catch these mercenaries. I can only dream of that day …” 

“Well, damn, look at you, buddy,” Milo got up and walked over to his partner, smacking his back in a playfully rough way, giving him a big smile. “You’re like a kid on Christmas morning! I’ve never seen your eyes sparkle with such delight--” 

Milo was immediately shoved away by a clearly embarrassed Reginald. “Stop that.” he said sternly. “Listen, now that we’ve got this information, we can head over to City Hall and let Isa know what’s going on, then I’m ready to call it quits for the night.” 

“Couldn’t agree with you more!” Milo replied, giving an over-exaggerated yawn. “Sleep does sound like a terrific idea right about now.” 

After chit chatting with a few other officers for a moment, the two made their way back outside to find shadows stretching across the buildings. Night was falling and the sky turned a brilliant purple color. Although you never got to see stars in the city, it was almost just as spectacular to see the changing colors all the time. As Milo admired the sky, Reginald sped off towards City Hall, ready to present his knowledge to the mayor of Sky City. 

\---

City Hall was located a short distance away from the police station; no more than a five minute drive at most. It made it convenient for the head of police to pop in all the time after or before work. Reginald always made a habit to stop by at least once a week, if not more. Reginald pulled up on the side of the road and didn’t even wait for Milo. That was ok with him though-- he knew his way around. 

To his surprise, Reginald had actually waited for him in the lobby. Perhaps he just wanted to show his information with Milo at his side. He also liked that because that meant Milo also got recognition when he really didn’t do anything at all. He liked being the head of police, but sometimes it was just way too much work. To be honest, he wondered what the carefree life of a mercenary must be like. Milo knew they must have their rough moments, just as he and Reginald do, but it’s gotta be less stressful than police work. 

The duo took the elevator to one of the higher floors of the building, where Isa would be awaiting them. Once off the elevator, they noticed a girl sitting at one of the desks just outside of Isa’s office. She was a dark skinned girl with long blonde hair. She dressed professionally and had the look of ‘assistant’ down pat. She glanced over at the police and her look of worry turned to a look of near boredom, but she couldn’t let them know that. 

“Stella, we need to see Isa.” Reginald said strictly, approaching the girl with his arms behind his back. Milo noticed his chest was puffed out, perhaps to make himself look more intimidating. Cute. Milo nodded after Reginald’s plea. 

“Ahh, sorry, but Isa is super busy at the moment. Perhaps I could schedule you in for tomorrow?” Stella retorted in a sassy tone, picking up a clipboard and a pen, ready to write something down. Reginald wasn’t putting up with her sass and smashed down his fist. 

“Dammit Stella, don’t play games with me!” he exclaimed. However, Stella’s smile never waivered. Milo honestly found enjoyment out of how angry Reginald was getting. 

“Yeeeeah, no. I don’t play games, Reggie.” she insisted. “I’m always 100% serious-- all the time. Isa is busy, and I can’t let you--” 

“Stella, what’s going on out there?” Everyone looked over to the mayor’s office door which had been opened and revealed the mayor herself. She wore a business outfit that looked as if it were made out of gold. Her wavy, black hair flowed past her shoulders and it almost complimented her green eyeshadow. Isa stood before them and smiled over at her head of police. 

“Reginald-- Milo-- good to see both of you.” she said gently. She looked back at Stella who immediately looked away. “Stella, I always have time for these two. Come in you two! We have much to talk about!” 

As Reginald past by Stella he gave her a smug look of ‘I told you so’. She huffed angrily and went back to her paperwork. Milo followed him inside through the office doors only to find three other people standing in front of the desk at which Isa sat. Reginald gave them all glances of confusion. 

In front of them stood a man with a white beard and sophisticated black glasses. He wore a purple button up with matching darker purple pants. Beside him stood a man with an almost as magnification bear, dressed in green. On the other side stood a woman who wore an outfit of black and red. Neither Milo or Reginald had ever seen these three before. 

 

“Who are they?” Reginald asked, raising a brow at them all. In response, the man in the center raised a brow back at them. 

 

“They are the vice mayors of Sky City.” Isa explained. “They just joined in today, and I was giving them the runabout things. Surely you’ve been paying attention to the elections?” 

“I’m afraid I’ve been too caught up in my police work-- I apologize, Isa.” Reginald said, dipping his head in apologies. “Hello there, my name is Reginald. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” 

He extended a hand and Milo did the same, shaking the hands of the three before them. The man in the center smiled at Reginald as he shook his hand. “The pleasure is all mine, mister chief of police. My name is Hadrian, and I am honored to be in your midst.” 

Reginald had to admit-- that was a little creepy with the way he worded it, but it also felt great getting such recognition. The others introduced themselves as Mevia and Otto. Otto seemed like a very relaxed individual, but he never let down his professional look about him. Mevia seemed to have a ‘bossy’ look to her, but she never strayed from acting professional as well. Reginald could easily see why Isa chose these three as vice mayors. 

Isa sat down at her desk and the three excused themselves from her office, having had to say what they had to. Milo couldn’t wait to call it a night just like them. Isa glanced up at Reginald who seemed ready to spill everything to her. 

“So, the only reason I see you being here, Reginald and Milo, is if you have more information on the mercenaries?” she asked, raising a brow at the duo. They both nodded. 

“Yes, Isa. You see, We have found out that the two kids we saved the other night actually work for the mercenaries. They’re affiliated with Soren and Ivor.” He watched as Isa nodded, taking in the information. “And we’ve also been meaning to interrogate Nurm and Jack more as they’re not out of the woods yet. They’re still up on the table for being affiliates as well.” 

“I’m glad of all you’re doing for the city. Once those filthy mercenaries are taken out of the city altogether, the city will be a much safer place.” Reginald couldn’t help but agree with Isa’s words, but Milo only stood there quietly. 

Was this truly the best way of handling things? Yes, they were mercenaries and what they were doing is highly illegal, but, they were handling a lot of the crime in sky city. They weren’t the cause, and they were taking care of things far quicker than the police force was. Milo was so stuck in his thoughts that he hadn’t even realized Isa was talking to him. Only when she said his name firmly did he snap back into reality. 

“Milo, you seem off.” Isa stated. “Has it been a rough week?” 

Reginald had noticed Milo was ‘off’ all day. They had talked about the mercenaries earlier, and Reginald honestly had no clue what Milo was thinking at that very moment. Before Milo even had a chance to reply, Reginald took hold of the conversation once again. 

“You’ll have to forgive him, Isa. Between the capture of Cassie Rose and figuring out who those kids were linked to, it’s been quite the eventful week.” he explained, glaring over at his partner. Milo simply sighed and nodded. 

“That’s right. I apologize Isa-- it has been a rough week. I’ll be refreshed after the weekend for sure.” he assured her. Isa nodded understandingly. 

“I should hope so. You two are the future for Sky City. Only you can turn it around for the better.” she folded her hands on her desk and gave them a confident smile. “I appreciate your work, and I hope for the best on your future endeavors.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Reginald said nodding to her. “You have a good day, Isa.” And with that they were off. They said their goodbyes to Stella and the new vice mayors before heading back to the car. 

Once in the car, Reginald kept quiet and didn’t start the car. Milo was a bit worried by him not taking action and looked over. He was never this quiet, and it was honestly a little unsettling. He gulped and tapped his partner’s shoulder. 

“Are you okay, dude?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“No, the question is, are you okay?” Reginald replied back. “All week you’ve been off your game. Are you going to be okay?” 

Milo gave a ‘psssh’ and lay his head back against the headrest. “You worry too much, Reggie. I’ll be fine. I just need this weekend to recharge.” 

Reginald turned the car on and put it in drive. “For your sake, I sure hope so.” 

Milo hoped that a weekend recharge was all he needed. He truly hoped that was it. But, the more and more he thought about how the mercenaries were actually helping them, the more his mind kept wavering. He needed to focus on his police work. He needed to hope this was just weird feelings. 

Milo couldn’t abandon his title as chief of police, or join the criminal side. He just couldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was PAINFUL to write.   
> I felt like it was incredibly boring and slow paced, but at he same time, it's a pretty important chapter. 
> 
> We get to find out even more about Reginald and Milo, as well as meet FIVE new characters all in one sitting. It was a little overwhelming, and I didn't have much time or drive to write it, but now that it's out of the way, we can tackle the next chapter c; 
> 
> It's gonna be painful and break your heart, so be prepared~


	8. Gunfire

Jesse hadn’t realize he slept in that morning, and he knew he would hear it from Ivor and Soren, but at that moment in time, he didn’t care. The weekend had gone by way too fast, and he wasn’t ready to go back to work just yet. He groaned and his eyes opened just slightly-- open enough to look over and see what time it was. It was already 11am. Yep-- he and Lukas were dead. He remembered Lukas had come in earlier, trying to wake him up, but to no avail, Jesse never woke up. He sat up, hoping to find Reuben somewhere in the room, but he wasn’t. Might as well get up and start the day-- even if he is late. After throwing on his usual get-up, he left his room, expecting to see all of his roommates, but he only saw Petra. 

Petra sat at the island separating the kitchen from the living room area. She looked … tired, above anything else. She looked over at Jesse, giving him a half smile and a slight wave with two fingers. Jesse smiled back and joined her, sitting beside her. He hadn’t realized it, but ever since he and Lukas started work, they had been so busy that they almost never had the time to hang out with their roommates. The entire reason they had moved to Sky City was to do things their way, and make it big together. However, things sort of fell apart when they found a job and left everyone in the dust. 

Jesse brought a hand to the back of his head, not really knowing what to say to Petra. She didn’t exactly make an effort to say anything, so he felt as if she was peeved at him for some reason. Finally, he figured it was about time to break the awkward silence between them. 

“So, where is everyone? I thought Axel and Olivia would be here.” he said, clicking his tongue as he spoke, trying to find the words to continue. 

Petra shrugged. “Those two actually went out to find jobs of their own. They were tired of sitting by and doing nothing, I guess.” she set her coffee mug on the table and just stared at it, her eyes falling half-lidded. “And yet, here I am … sitting here and doing nothing with my life.” 

Jesse looked over at her confused. “I thought you sold … herbs? Did you stop doing that?” 

Petra glared over at him and groaned, seeming a tad pissed off. “That was back when we lived in the fuckin’ sticks and no one cared who sold what and what was illegal or not. If I did that here in the city, we’d fucking get evicted, Jesse.” 

“Okay, okay … sorry …” Jesse replied, feeling slightly attacked by her outburst. The two remained quiet for a long while afterwards. Jesse was actually contemplating leaving when he realized Lukas wasn’t at home either. He looked back over at Petra who was still staring at her drink. 

“Do you know where Lukas is? He didn’t leave already, did he?” 

Petra shook her head. “He’s down in the lobby. He told me to let you know to give him a call when you were up … so you may wanna do that.” 

Jesse nodded, pulling out his phone, ready to make the call. Just as he was about to type the last number in, he heard Petra speak in the saddest tone he had ever heard come out of her mouth. 

“Everyone’s changing … you, Lukas, Axel and Olivia … I don’t like it …” 

Jesse put down his phone and looked over at Petra with a sympathetic look. He brought a hand to her shoulder and forced a pained smile. She looked over at him, but only a look of sadness took over her. 

“Hey, what’re you talking about, Petra? We’re all still together. I’m sorry Lukas and I haven’t been hanging out much … we’ve been super busy at work, and the hours fluctuate all the goddamn time-- it’s terrible.” he sighed, knowing that’s not what Petra wanted to hear right now. “I promise as soon as all of our schedules meet up, we’ll all hang out and go out on the town, alright?” 

“That’s not it, Jesse … I dunno, dude …” she buried her head in her arms as she laid them on the table, sighing. “We used to hang out all the time … now we barely talk.” She stayed quiet for a moment, before her shaky voice gave way again. “Why does this always happen? Everyone leaves and I’m just by myself again …” 

“Petra, I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” he said, rubbing her back comfortingly. “People … just need some time apart sometimes. They don’t mean to leave, truly.” 

She glanced over at him, her face red-- as if she were about to cry. “That’s easy for you to say. I’m the one who always ends up alone-- and with you and Lukas out there risking your lives doing some shitty mercenary work …” she turned to him, holding back tears. “I just don’t want to lose you-- any of you. You all mean alot to me …” 

Jesse reached forward, pulling her into a hug. She reluctantly hugged back, burying her head into the nape of his neck. “I promise-- we’re not going anywhere. We can’t after we’ve come so far, right?” After a moment he parted the hug and looked at her, giving Petra a comforting smile. She rubbed the tears threatening to fall from her eyes and nodded. 

“You better.” she urged. “I don’t want to have to pay for a funeral.” She turned away and sighed again, closing her eyes as she tilted her head up towards the ceiling. “Well, since all of you guys are searching for jobs, I guess I better join in as well, huh? Can’t leave you guys doing all the work when we all need to pay for this nice penthouse.” 

Jesse gave a chuckle as he pat her back. “That’s the spirit! Don’t worry, Petra, we’ll all get through this together. I’m sure we’ve conquered worse than this, right?” 

“I suppose so ... “ she replied, smiling a bit. “Alright then, you should probably get going. Lukas is waiting in the lobby for you, and you’ve probably kept your bosses waiting long enough.” 

Jesse nodded and scooted off of the chair, heading for the door to their apartment. Before he reached the door, Petra called out to him. 

“Oh, and Jesse--” 

He turned to her, cocking his head in confusion. “Yeah?” 

“If you get hurt on the job, tell your bosses I’ll personally fuck em’ up, you hear?” she warned, giving him a smirk and cracking her knuckles. Jesse simply smiled back in return. 

“I getcha, Petra. Don’t worry, we’ll come back safe and sound. I promise.” 

“I’ll hold you to that promise, Jesse.” 

And with that, he left. He dialed Lukas’ number, but once again he was interrupted before he could finish it. His phone vibrated and he noticed the person calling was actually his boss, Ivor. Jesse sighed angrily, knowing this could only go so well. He picked up the phone, awaiting a temper tantrum form Ivor and Soren, both yelling into the phone at the top of their lungs. He took a breath. 

“Hello?” 

“Jesse?! Where the Hell are you two?!” Ivor cried. “We told you not to fucking sleep in!” 

“Lukas and I are leaving the apartment right now-- we’ll be there soon enou--” 

“Fuck that! Soren and I are already on our way over! Of all the days you could’ve chosen to sleep in, you had to choose this day!” 

“Why, what’s wrong?” Jesse reached the elevator and pressed the ground floor button as he continued talking. Something obviously had Ivor’s panties in a twist. 

“What’s wrong, he says!” Ivor mocked back into the phone. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong! We gathered intel on where Torque Dawg is and we can get him surrounded! Now get your ass in gear!” 

And with that, Ivor hung up, leaving Jesse speechless. His heart rate began climbing, and he could feel himself getting weak. Only a week in to his new job, and they were about to take out the worst criminal mastermind in Sky City. With his heart pumping fast, he watched painfully as the buttons with the floor numbers glowed as he reached the lobby. 

Once the elevator opened up, Jesse ran out into the lobby and saw Lukas pacing about. When their glances met, they ran to each other and out the door. Lukas was holding his phone close, which could’ve meant he received a call from Ivor as well. The revolving doors led them outside where they waited for their ride. 

“Did you get a call from Ivor too?” Jesse asked, narrowing his eyes at Lukas. 

Lukas nodded affirmatively. “Yeah, and I was about to come wake you, but, Petra had just texted me letting me know you were on your way down.” 

Jesse nodded, understanding. “So … they finally have Torque Dawg pegged … and we’re the ones that have to take him out, huh?” 

“That’s how it’s looking right about now …” Lukas replied, watching the streets for their bosses to show up. “I really hope nothing bad happens …” 

“We’ll be alright … I promised Petra we would be.” 

“That’s a bold, bold statement, Jesse … but I hope so too.” 

Within minutes, Ivor and Soren arrived on the scene and after a mission brief, they were off, ready to find and take down Torque Dawg once and for all. It wouldn’t be easy for their small ragtag group, but, they had to do it. If they did-- they’d make bank! So, off they went. 

\--- 

Soren was careful to park quite the distance away from where they were going. They didn’t want to scare Torque Dawg off anyway. Even Ivor was careful in the sense that he didn’t wear heels. He was always arrogant and smug, but even today-- both Ivor and Soren had a look of worry and dread crossing their faces, which only made Jesse and Lukas feel worse about what they were about to do. 

Quietly, they made their way towards the building Torque Dawg was in, following Soren and Ivor’s every movement preciscely. Jesse’s heart was thudding out of his chest-- and he felt like he was going to die from the anticipation of it all. Finally, a run down building on the city street came into view, and he felt like he was going to be sick. They watched as Ivor and Soren ducked behind the building wall and they did the same. Soren glanced over at the duo and motioned them towards a nearby parked car. 

“Go behind the car. We’re going in and we’ll signal you once everything is done.” Soren said, barely above a whisper. Both Lukas and Jesse nodded, carefully and quietly ducking behind the nearby car. Once they were situated safely behind it, they both glanced back at Ivor and Soren who had already made their way towards the front door. 

Jesse thought about what they were planning and wondered how they were going to go about it. Were they planning on going in-- guns-a-blazing? It seemed like a very, very dangerous move. Jesse clutched his weapon close to him, afraid of what would go down. He began shaking, and hoped he wouldn’t break down again if he had to kill a man this time. Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his arm and he looked over to see Lukas give him a look of assurance. It did manage to calm him down slightly, but the question still remained if they were going to be okay. They watched as Ivor motioned them to stay ducked down with his hand before they both kicked down the door and rushed in. 

Within seconds, guns were firing and screams could be heard within the house. Jesse watched in horror as many people tried running out of the house or climbing out of the windows, only to be shot dead by Soren and Ivor, presumably. Then Jesse noticed them pouring from the back of the house. If one of them was Torque Dawg, they couldn’t let them escape! 

Lukas watched in awe and horror as Jesse stood up and took aim at the criminals. He fired off shots, but because of his terrible aim, managed to miss them all. The ones running away stopped mid-run and duck behind the building for shelter. Jesse thought he had them pinned when suddenly, he saw one of the men reach for a weapon. He quickly dove behind the car, taking Lukas down with him in an effort to save both of them from oncoming gunfire. 

Jesse could see underneath the car and saw many more people coming from behind the building. With a brigade like that, Torque Dawg had to be behind them-- most likely using the poor bastards as a human shield. He sat up, coming to a crouching position to look out for who was within the brigade. And of course, he saw a the face he had seen on many wanted posters-- It was Torque Dawg, and he was getting away! 

“Torque Dawg’s running away!” Jesse cried, trying to stand up in order to get a good aim, but in doing so, he was nearly shot in the head. Lukas grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. The best bet was to call for Soren and Ivor, they both agreed on. 

After a minute or two of calling, they realized the men from before were closing in on them. They both clutched their weapons and readied themselves for a fight, but suddenly gunfire rang out behind them and they heard familiar voices. 

“Jesse! Blonde Guy! Where are you two!?” Ivor called out in betwee shots. Lukas popped his head over the car, careful to avoid any bullets. 

“We’re over here! Watch out, guys!” Lukas warned, pointing around the building. “There’s guys over there with guns!” 

Jesse peered over as well. “And Torque Dawg is escaping!” Jesse looked in the direction of the brigade, to which Ivor began shooting at. Jesse flinched as bodies fell to the ground, but in the midst of all that, Torque Dawg was able to get into a car and speed off.

All four of the mercenaries took aim at the car in an attempt to burst the wheels or destroy the tank, or really anything at that point, but the car never slowed down and it sped off. Jesse could feel the anger burning up within their bosses. They had blown it. Torque Dawg had gotten away, and to top it all off, more people had died than they should have. 

Soren hopped the stoop and charged the men behind the wall, shooting them both dead in an instant. He barely had to put up a fight against them, which only made Jesse and Lukas feel worse about the fact they couldn’t stop them. Ivor began marching towards the two angrily as Soren finished the job with the other men. 

“I swear to God-- you two are so fucking dead--” Ivor threatened, but before he could even get close enough to them, Lukas noticed someone behind Ivor. He was approaching fast and he had a gargantuan knife! 

“Ivor!” Lukas cried, taking aim at the man and attempting to shoot him. “Watch out!” 

Upon hearing this both Ivor and Soren turned to see what the problem was. Lukas had tried shooting, but missed. Everyone watched in horror as this person came up and stabbed Ivor in the gut. Jesse and Lukas both let out and audible gasp, as Soren shot the man many times, but he didn’t go down. 

The man took the knife out as his own blood began dripping to the ground and before going down stabbed Ivor again, trailing the knife upward before collapsing himself. Ivor, who was in shock, collapsed beside the man. Soren raced over and angrily shot the man several times in the head for good measure, before kneeling down beside Ivor. With everyone dead that they knew of, Jesse and Lukas crawled out from their hiding spot and went to Ivor’s aid. 

They stared down at Ivor who’s eyes were wide. Blood was welling up and seeping through his shirt. Blood poured from his mouth as he looked between the duo and Soren. Instinctively, Soren ripped open Ivor’s shirt to reveal the wounds-- they were awful. Ivor had been stabbed deep right above his stomach, and the man had left a long gash leading up to the top of Ivor’s chest. Soren stared on in terror, not knowing what to do. 

Lukas was already on it, and called an ambulance, as he talked and gave their location, he looked down at Ivor, making sure he didn’t pass out or worse. The wounds were bad, and as soon as the dispatch was sent, he hung up, kneeling down towards Ivor. He looked over at Soren who was in pure disbelief. 

“Soren, take Ivor’s shirt and apply pressure to his wound!” Lukas explained. Soren only looked up at him, unable to do much at the moment. Lukas groaned. “Fucking useless!” He reached down himself and stripped Ivor of the shirt he wore before bunching it up in layers like folded laundry and applied it to the worst of the wounds. 

“Jesse, I need your help!” Lukas exclaimed. Jesse nodded and pressed his hands on top of Lukas’ hoping to apply some type of pressure. “Ivor, you need to stay with us. Just keep looking at Soren!” 

All Ivor could muster was terrible gasps and gurgles. Weakly, he grabbed the fabric on Soren’s arm and held it as tightly as he could. Soren was physically and emotionally defeated. He slowly took Ivor’s hand from his arm and held his hand tightly. No words needed to be exchanged. They simply sat there as sirens began blaring in the distance.

Within minutes, the ambulance arrived. Even if the workers knew of the mercenaries, they took Ivor without a word, but when Soren and his apprentices tried taking the ambulance with Ivor, the worker firmly told them no. One could hear the hurt in Soren’s voice as he pleaded them to let him in. 

“He’s my goddamn partner!!” Soren pleaded. “Please, let me come with you!” 

With one final no, the workers told them to meet them at the hospital and wait patiently. Ivor would be taken into surgery immediately and they would have to wait patiently. And with that, they drove off, the sirens disappearing the further away they got. 

The trio stood there for a long time before Soren turned to Lukas. A livid look crossed Soren’s face as he grabbed Lukas by the collar, looking about ready to punch him. Lukas struggled to break free and Jesse attempted to split the two apart. 

“WHY DIDN’T YOU SHOOT HIM!?” Soren screamed, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. “HE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, LUKAS!” 

Lukas’ eyes widened as he struggled to break free, his breathing becoming difficult. “I tried! I’m sorry!” Soren finally dropped Lukas, resulting in a coughing fit from the blonde. Soren started off towards his car as Jesse helped Lukas up. 

“It’s your fault Ivor’s dead, you fucking idiot.” Soren’s words stung-- bad. Lukas looked down at the pavement as Jesse helped him up. Jesse couldn’t stand for what Soren said and raced over towards him. 

“They’re gonna do everything they can to fix Ivor! Don’t you dare talk to Lukas like that!” Jesse yelled back, only to be met with another angry look. “He tried getting him before he got to Ivor-- and he even warned him! Lukas tried what we could!” 

Soren completely ignored him and hopped in the car. Jesse and Lukas had to hurry to be able to get in before Soren drove off. The entire car ride there they were quiet. Lukas had a giant lump in his throat and tears that threatened to fall. It was all his fault that Ivor was injured. If he had actually stopped the guy from hurting him, maybe he and Jesse would be getting praised right now, but instead, they were on their way to the hospital-- on their way to a dying Ivor. 

Lukas glanced up at Soren who had his focus on the road among other things. In a shaky, sad tone, Lukas spoke to Soren. “Soren … I’m so sorry …” 

Soren stayed quiet for a long, long time before finally replying. “Lukas … Jesse …” They listened intently until he finally spoke again. 

“You’re relieved of your duty. Once I go home, you’re both fired.” 

\--- 

Within minutes of Soren finishing his proclamation, they made it to the hospital. However, word of Ivor becoming injured must’ve spread fast, because now standing before them was the head of the police himself-- Reginald. Reginald and dozens of other cops blocked the path to the hospital, and Soren was about ready to plow through all of them just to see Ivor again. 

Both he and his apprentices got out of the car and approached Reginald, who had a devious smile on his face. He had been waiting for this moment all his life-- the day when he could finally capture the mercenaries. After this moment, he would be a legend in Sky City. Isa would look upon him with gratitude and awe. Soren stopped a few feet away from him, awaiting Reginald’s speech. 

“Soren, Apprentices--” Reginald began. “You’re all under arrest.” 

“Out of my way, Reginald.” Soren demanded. “I’ll fucking kill all of you if you don’t.” 

“You’re. All. Under. Arrest.” Reginald repeated firmly again. 

Just as Soren grabbed for his gun, and Lukas and Jesse thought another gun fight was about to occur, a voice rang out and broke the wall of cops. Everyone looked over to see Reginald’s partner, Milo. Reginald glared at him with fury in his eyes and Soren and his apprentices looked on in confusion. 

“You won’t dare touch them, Reg.” Milo explained. “As the second head of police, I won’t let you. Let them pass, now!” 

“Milo, are you fucking insane, right now!?” Reginald exclaimed, nearly yelling at his partner. “They’re Sky City’s most wanted criminals! We’re arresting them!” 

“Ivor is in there-- injured and possibly dying. You will let them inside. Arrest them after the fact!” Milo retalitated. “Soren, you can pass.” 

Soren took a step forward, only for Reginald to pull a gun out on Soren. “Don’t. Move.” 

“Reg, lower your weapon, now.” Milo said, grabbing the handle of his own gun. “Just let them in the goddamn hostpial. If you want, you can take me to Isa instead. I’ll face the consequences and you can get all of the glory.” 

Reginald hesitantly kept the gun at Soren’s head, finger on the trigger. With Milo here, the other police officers weren’t going to know who to listen to. Reginald reluctantly had to give up. He took the gun away from Soren and got up in his face, glaring at him. 

“Take one step out of the hospital, and you’re finished!” Reginald threatened. He turned away, glaring at Milo as he and the other police returned to their cars. They would be ready for when Soren and the apprentices left. 

Soren, Jesse, and Lukas turned to Milo who offered an escort inside. Soren always sort of liked Milo. He was sensible and wasn’t always a hardass like his partner. As they walked through the doors, Soren shot him a glance. 

“Why did you help us?” he asked. “Don’t you both have it out for us? Aren’t we the biggest criminals in Sky City?” 

“All of that is true, yes, but … lately, I’ve been seeing what good you mercenaries are doing. I’ll admit, its not legal in the slightest and you should change your tactics.” he stopped and gave the trio a smile. “But, you’re helping this city for the better. Ever since you and Ivor came along, you two have single handedly brought crime down.” 

He turned back to Lukas and Jesse who followed closely behind. “Not to mention, you’ve got these two with you. If they’re apprenticing, then one day … I’m sure they’ll become as great as you Soren.” 

Milo was being a suck up, and Soren didn’t like it. He turned back to his apprentices who had a look of sadness on them. Soren nearly formed a smile at Milo’s words. “Yeah, I suppose they will … someday …” 

Jesse and Lukas glanced up, and small smiles crossed their faces. Was that a slight bit of praise they heard come out of Soren’s mouth? Despite the harsh circumstances occurring right now, perhaps Milo made Soren change his mind about firing them. 

The four approached the information desk and the woman gratefully didn’t know Soren or the kids, but she of course knew the Head of Police. Milo proceeded to ask for Ivor, stating his first and last name. The woman looked over her list and then back up at them. 

“He just went into surgery. I heard his wounds were … very bad …” she said a bit somberly. “It will be a few hours, but you’re more than welcome to stay in the lobby until then.” The four nodded and headed back towards the lobby where they would stay for the time being. 

Soren and Milo sat on a couch on one side of the lobby, while Jesse and Lukas sat at the other side. Soren still seemed incredibly stressed, so it was a good thing Milo was there to calm him down a tad. Given their backgrounds, the two were really hitting it off. 

Lukas and Jesse sat there, both fidgeting beyond belief. Lukas’ knees bounced up and down as his legs wouldn’t stop shaking. He had his hands folded in his lap and his head staring down. Jesse knew Lukas was sorry for what happened, and he knew it wasn’t his fault-- but, he knew Lukas was incredibly upset over the fact he missed the shot. Jesse touched Lukas’ shoulder to get his attention, to hopefully try and talk to him about what happened. With any luck, perhaps they’d both feel better. 

“You doing okay, Lukas …?” Jesse asked quietly. Lukas only shook his head, remaining quiet. Jesse continued. “You wanna talk about it?” 

“I just …” he sighed heavily. “I just can’t get over what Soren said to me … I truly didn’t mean to get Ivor hurt …” 

“I know you didn’t … and I’m proud of you for actually trying to do something. Think of it like this, if Ivor hadn’t turned around and he got stabbed in the spine … he could’ve been paralyzed …” Now that Jesse thought that sentence over, he wasn’t sure that was the best thing to say to him. 

“That’s suppose to make me feel better? Jesse, Ivor could be dead because of me! If he is, then Soren will-- Soren … Oh God …” Lukas began shaking and buried his face in his hands, thinking of all the terrible things Soren would possibly do to him if Ivor ended up dead. 

“He won’t do anything to you Lukas.” Jesse said, taking Lukas’ hands in his. “I won’t let him. Ivor will tough it out, you’ll see. He’s a tough bastard.” 

Lukas swallowed hard, feeling that lump in his throat from before and nodded. Jesse lay his head back on the couch and Lukas leaned up against his head, suddenly feeling sleepy. The sun was beginning to set, the lights in the lobby automatically came on-- giving it a more homey, cozy feeling. They were waiting for several hours, might as well get some rest. 

Although Jesse couldn’t sleep, Lukas was out like a light, and the nape of Jesse’s neck made quite the comfy pillow. Jesse would occasionally glance over at Milo and Soren and watch as Milo attempted to comfort Soren as well. Everything happened so fast today. Jesse wished he had just stayed in bed. He closed his eyes and decided he’d try to rest for a little bit as well. 

Several hours had passed, and it became dark inside, the glow from inside becoming even more cozy. People had walked in and passed by, giving Soren dirty and terrified glances, or people saying hi to Milo. Finally, over the intercom, their names were called to the front dest again. Grogilly, Lukas and Jesse stood up to find Soren nearly sprinting over to the desk. 

His first question was, “Where’s Ivor? Is he okay?” 

The woman nodded. “He’s in the ICU right now. His wounds were horrible, so they need to keep an eye on him for a while. I’m afraid only those close to him-- like family and close friends may visit.” 

Milo stepped back with his hands behind his back. “You guys go up and see him. I’m gonna go and talk with Reg-- get all this garbage sorted out.” 

Soren gave him a smile. “Thank you, Milo … seriously.” 

He nodded to them. “Not a problem, Soren. Give my regards to Ivor. You all have a good night, and take care of yourselves.” 

With that, they were off to the Intensive Care Unit to see Ivor. Jesse and Lukas watched as Milo disappeared out of sight. 

\--- 

Reginald and Milo had been called to Isa’s office. She had been told of what had happened at the hospital, and she needed clarity, as well as to teach her Head of Police a lesson. They arrived to find a very aggravated Isa. Reginald felt as if he was squirming beneath her glare, but Milo was ready to defend for what he stood for. He wasn’t about to let Reginald push him around or take the show again. Isa sat back in her chair, her hands folded in front of her. 

“Ok, so tell me exactly what happened …” 

“Isa, please, Soren and his apprentices were about to lose a friend.” Milo explained. “We couldn’t deny them the right to see him off. If he’s dying they should at least be able to see him!”

“I am well aware of Ivor’s state, Milo.” She assured him. “Reginald, you tried stopping Milo with his talk of … injustice?” 

“I did, ma’am. Multiple times.” He assured her. He glared over at Milo. “I told him that I would arrest them no matter what, but he was set on his was. The others wouldn’t listen to my word with him there.” 

Isa sighed heavily and sat back, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “Milo, you have gone against Reginald’s word. I partnered you up with him to act as a counterbalance, not to disregard and go against him.” 

“I am sorry, Isa, but I wasn’t about to deny them that right. Do what you want with me, but I believe they are helping us more than you think.” 

Isa stared at him angrily. “You dare question my authority, Milo?” she shook her head. “No, I can’t have any of this. Milo and Reginald, I’m afraid you both have to give up your badges. Your incompetence to capture them today was terrible. I can’t have backstabbers and second guessers in my police force.” 

Reginald looked at her with wide eyes. “No … Isa, please …” he pleaded, stepping close to her. “I devoted my life to the force! I would die for you, Isa! I would give my life for you and the force! Please don’t do this!” 

Milo was already handing his badge and gun over as Reginald pleaded. All of his years of kissing up to her were now making him seem like a child. Isa cleared her voice. 

“Your badge and weapon. Now, Reginald.” 

Reluctantly and defeated, he handed over his things. Isa collected them promptly and held them close. She looked up at her old trusted Head of Police and nodded at them. 

“Milo and Reginald, you are relieved of your duty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter HURT. It was fun to write, but omfg so much HURT.  
> Writing things like this is fun honestly, and I love ripping people's hearts out so, it works out pretty nice c; 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter~


	9. All My Fault

There was a dead silence as the trio were in the elevator. Aside from the beeps of arriving on a new floor, and the constant creaks and bumps the elevator would make– it was quiet. Soren said nothing, Lukas looked at his feet, and Jesse waited impatiently for the elevator to get to the third floor. Finally, after a few agonizing moments, the elevator dinged one final time and opened up on the floor. The trio glanced around, lost, as they had never been in this hospital before, nor did they think they ever would be here. Out of the corner of his eye, Lukas spotted a sign up on the wall, directing people to different sections of the hospital.

“There.” he said quietly, walking over and pointing at the sign. “The ICU is this way …”

Without so much as saying a word, Soren frantically sped down the hallway, in search of a nurse’s station to be seen, leaving Jesse and Lukas in the dust. By the time they caught up with their mentor, he was already questioning the nurses at the desk, begging to see Ivor. One of the women instructed him to a nearby section of the hospital, down the hall and behind the double doors. Without listening to the rest of the instructions or waiting for the kids behind him, he ran down the hall and through the doors. Jesse and Lukas only slowly followed.

Finally, they made it to the ICU. The lights were dimmed, only adding to the grim mood of everything happening. Soren was nowhere to be seen, but the nurse had her eyes on a nearby room. She finally looked up and saw the two boys standing before her. Jesse forced a smile, even if it was a sad one.

“Uh, hi … we’re looking for Ivor?” Jesse prompted Ivor’s last name and the nurse nodded, glancing over at the room she had just been looking at.

“Ivor is in there. I’m afraid we can only allow one visitor at a time though. You may stop in and see him quickly, however.” She explained. Jesse and Lukas nodded, thanking the woman as they headed off for the room.

They didn’t know what they were expecting, but when they walked into that room, they were shocked beyond belief. In front of them, they saw Ivor– but not the Ivor they were used to. He was hooked up to IVs, his entire chest and lower stomach was bandaged up, and a mak was on his face. Puffs of breath could be seen against it, and he looked to be asleep. Alive– but just barely. Soren sat beside him in the only chair available, holding his hand and rubbing his fingers against Ivor’s skin in an attempt to wake him up.

“Ivor, it’s me … Soren.” Soren choked out, forcing as much of a smile as he could. “I’m here …”

Simultaneously, Lukas and Jesse felt their hearts drop. Seeing Ivor like this was almost unbearable. Jesse walked over to Soren and placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, only for the ginger to shrug it away. He didn’t want sympathy. Not now. Not ever. Jesse looked back over at Ivor and crouched to his knees as he placed his arms at the bedside. He glanced over and began talking, hoping to wake him up as well.

“Come on, Ivor, you’re gonna let this keep you down?” Jesse teased. “I’m sure you’ve gotten out of worse scrapes than this, right?”

Lukas was shaking. He was petrified. How could he have let this happen? How could a simple mistake have turned so bad? Because he reacted too late, Ivor was in a hospital bed– dying. Why did this have to happen? Was there any more he could have done? He cupped his mouth and shook his head, before backing into the wall behind him.

“Oh God …” he spoke shakily, holding his whimpers in. Jesse was the only one to look back at him, worriedly. Soren kept staring at his partner.

“Lukas? Hey, come here–” Jesse said quietly, motioning for Lukas to come sit beside him. Lukas removed his hand from his mouth and shook his head before leaving the room in a hurry. Jesse sighed and stood up ready to follow him. Before he left, he turned to Soren.

“You stay here with Ivor. You should get to see him more than us. Lukas and I will be waiting for you.” And with that, Jesse took off, leaving Soren glancing over at him as he left.

\---

He wasn’t sure how far Lukas had gotten, but he figured not far. He left the Intensive Care Unit through the double doors. He looked down the hallways presented to him, and didn’t see Lukas anywhere. It always seemed like someone was running off to go sulk somewhere, and it was becoming a pain in the ass– not that he could blame Lukas. Times were shitty. He approached a nurse and asked if she had seen him pass by. She nodded and told him he was headed for the elevator.

Jesse thanked her and began speed walking down the hallway to be able to catch up with him. Once he made a turn he found Lukas heading into the elevator. Before he could reach him, the elevator was already heading down. Cursing under his breath, he figured Lukas was headed back towards the lobby. With no other option, he found a nearby stairwell and booked it back down to the first floor. Out of breath, he burst through the door, only to see Lukas get off the elevator. Once Lukas saw his friend in front of him, he only stared at him wide eyed. Regaining his breath, Jesse walked over to him, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

“Why don’t we go get something from the vending machine? We can grab Soren something too? Okay?” He asked in a gentle voice. Lukas nodded, following Jesse towards it.

After a few moments of silence, Lukas strained through his voice. “I’m sorry I ran off like that … It’s just,” he sighed. “Ivor’s suppose to be out there kicking ass– not confined to a hospital bed. I couldn’t handle seeing all those IVs and and wires hooked up to him …”

Jesse nodded, feeling a lump grow in his throat. “I know what you mean … but, he’s tough, Lukas. I promise you he’ll get through this. This is Ivor, we’re talking about, you know.”

Lukas shook his head. “Ivor or not, he’s still human. He lost a lot of blood, Jesse, and that wound he got didn’t look too good either. He’s lucky nothing … fell out …” he shuddered at the thought and closed his eyes tight. “God …”

They arrived in a secluded hallway where the vending and soda machines were, when Jesse turned back to Lukas, trying to find the right words to say.

“It’s like I told Soren– the nurses and doctors are going to do everything they can to save Ivor. I’m positive they can do this.” he explained. “He’ll make it.”

As Jesse turned to one of the vending machines to study the different treats, Lukas pressed his back against the wall and slumped into a sitting position on the ground. He buried his hands in his face and shook his head.

“It’s all my fault …” he choked out. “I caused this. I got scared and missed and …” He pulled at his hair, tugging at blonde strands, attempting to hold back tears. “I’m not meant to be a mercenary … I’m not meant to be in Sky City.” His tears began to fall as he tucked his knees in close. “I fucked up …”

Jesse noticed his friend begin crying and knelt down in front of him, hoping no one would pass through the secluded hallway. The last thing he needed was for Lukas to feel embarrassed. Gently, he brought his hands to Lukas’ face and pulled his hands away, revealing a clearly stressed and red-faced Lukas.

“Hey …” Jesse said in a calming tone. “Don’t say that about yourself. None of that is true. I would’ve done the same thing in that situation. You forget, we’re still in training, Lukas … what they’re asking of us are pretty big things …”

“But, I could’ve done more … I should’ve done more!” he began crying harder, yanking his hands away from Jesse, burying his face into his knees again, only to muffle his sobs.

“Lukas …” Jesse inched closer and held Lukas in his arms as best he could. The awkward position they were in on the ground made it near impossible to hug his friend, but he made do with what he could. He rocked back and forth, shushing Lukas as he cried. “Come on, it’s gonna be alright …”

He had never seen Lukas act like this, aside from everything that happened with Cassie Rose, but even during that, the pure shock of everything kept Lukas from breaking down like this. This was something bizarre and new to Jesse. Lukas, who always took pride in himself, who was always so sure about things, and who would always be there for his friends– was left a blubbering mess. It hurt Jesse to see him like this. But, Lukas had been there for him when he broke down. He should be there for him all the same.

In between sobs, Lukas attempted to speak. It was in a broken, whiny voice. “I don’t think I can continue doing this work anymore, Jesse …”

Jesse parted from the hug and looked at Lukas. He was upset to hear that, but he didn’t let it show through. He didn’t want Lukas feeling any worse than he already was. He nodded, understanding his friend’s wishes. “Alright, Lukas. Alright.”

He stood up and helped Lukas to his feet, who was a bit reluctant to stand up just yet. They stood like that for a while before Lukas moved close to Jesse and gave him a tight hug. Jesse simply returned the hug, holding Lukas tightly as well. Neither wanted to let go. They just wanted to stay like that, enjoying each other’s company.

“I’m so tired of all this …” he buried his face into the nape of Jesse’s neck. “I just want to go home … our old home. Back where we weren’t so stressed out all the time.”

Home. Jesse never realized how much he missed their old home. Where they lived out in the country seemed like such a distance memory. It seemed like they had left so long ago, and it hadn’t even been a month yet. Maybe if they stayed home, they’d all still be hanging out like they used to.

Jesse recalled those days when the five of them would sit around lazily and just enjoy each other’s company. He remembered the long summer days where they would all spend days in the forest pretending to have some grand adventure, or the cold winters where the five of them would be bundled up in Jesse’s parent’s place watching old Christmas classics. He remembered when they were younger, and every kid in the neighborhood passed around the legends of kids who called themselves the Order of the Stone. Kid generation after kid generation passed that legend down, and Jesse aspired more than anything to be like those mystery kids – just as his friends all did. They went from kids with big dreams, to being stuck in some hell they were bound to. Everything felt so distant after today.

“Maybe once Ivor gets better, we can all take a trip and show them our old home?” Jesse asked, pulling away from the hug and he held Lukas. “I think all of us deserve a break after what we went through today.”

Lukas nodded, attempting a smile. “I’d like that. But … the only way we’d be able to go is if everyone’s working jobs.” he sighed and let go of Jesse. “Guess that means … I have no choice but to stay in this job, huh?”

“Lukas, no, I didn’t mean–”

“I know, Jesse.” he said back, still hiccuping from his breakdown. He wiped his eyes with his hand and looked back at Jesse.“And I’m not saying I like this job. I absolutely hate it. I hate that we have to risk our lives everyday. I hate feeling worthless and I hate the fact that I could lose you at any moment–” Lukas caught himself at the last minute, and rubbed the back of his head, blushing a bit. Jesse smiled back at him, a warm feeling overcoming him as he said that.

“But, we’re in this together, Jesse. I still believe Ivor’s in the hospital because of a mistake I can’t undo, but …” he looked up at Jesse with a smile, his eyes still red from crying. “I’m going to make it up to Ivor, and to Soren as well. I can’t sit around crying like this …”

Jesse nodded happily, giving him a big smile as he brought his hand to his shoulder again. “I’m glad to hear that Lukas.” Once again, he hugged his friend, this time a lot more gently. “Someday, we’ll be great mercenaries. We’ll protect Sky City and its people, and you can prove yourself to Ivor as well.”

Lukas nodded. “I sure hope so, Jesse.”

After calming Lukas down, the two turned back to the vending machine, and after choosing the snacks they wanted and trying to solve what Soren would like, they started heading back. Lukas smiled a bit, realizing how lucky he was to have Jesse around.

“Thank you, Jesse …”

Jesse glanced back at him, “For what? Paying? It was no problem, really.”

“No, for helping me back there.” he corrected. “I really, really appreciate it. You’re … one of the best friends I could ever ask for.”

Jesse huffed in a way that sounded like a chuckle. “Aw, Lukas, that’s what friends do. Not to mention, you helped me when I broke down. It’s only fair that I help you as best I can.”

The duo past through the lobby when they heard footsteps fast approaching them. They turned their heads only to see Milo running towards them. He no longer bore a badge, and no longer wore the trademark Sky City Police gear. Instead, they saw Milo in casual clothes. Was he off duty? They turned to him and looked up at them with a panicked expression.

“Milo? What’s wrong? Were you able to stop Reginald?” Jesse asked, raising a brow at him. Lukas nodded, wondering the same.

Milo looked at them before stammering in a shaky voice. “Reg and I were fired, but Isa is on here way with a police force! We need to get Soren and get out of here right now!”

\---

Soren sat beside Ivor, still holding the man’s hand. Twenty minutes had passed, and he still had not woken up. Soren knew it was getting late, and that visiting hours would be ending soon, but he couldn’t bare to leave Ivor’s side. Ever since they were children, they stuck together through thick and thin. Even if they argued, and even if they seemed like mortal enemies at times, it was undeniable that Soren loved Ivor with every ounce of his heart.

Soren’s thoughts were ended when he heard a knock at the door. He glanced back and saw a man dressed in a white jacket– presumably the doctor. Soren stood up, letting go of Ivor’s hand and immediately shook the doctor’s hand. It was a bit strange that the doctor was here so late at night, but at the same time, Soren was thankful he was here.

“Are you a relative of him, then?” The doctor asked. His accent was thick.

“Uh, partner, sort of. We live together.” Soren explained.

The doctor nodded and moved towards the bed to inspect Ivor. He pulled the sheets down past his chest to observe the bandages. His eyes glanced back at Soren who stood there, glancing worriedly back at Ivor.

“Do you know how large the wound was?” the doctor asked. Soren was confused as to why he’d ask that. Wasn’t he the one who performed surgery on him? Nonetheless, he walked over to stand next to the doctor. He brought his finger towards Ivor’s upper chest area.

“The wound starts here, and the man dragged the knife from his stomach all the way up to here.” Soren explained. “I don’t think it was too deep, aside from the actual stab area …”

The doctor nodded again as he began taking tests on Ivor. He removed the bandages slightly to get a closer look, only to cover him back up immediately. Soren wasn’t able to get much of a look, but after seeing the doctor grimace, he was sure it looked bad. The doctor wrote some things on his clipboard and called to a nurse, who arrived shortly after being called. He seemed to ask her about Ivor’s charts. Upon going over what happened in surgery and prior, the doctor glanced back at the comatose man on the bed with a seriously worried look. 

Soren moved towards them, his temper growing. “What’s wrong?!” he demanded. “Is he going to be alright?!”

The doctor glanced back at the angry man. “His wound was deep. It punctured organs, and made him bleed internally and profusely, according to my nurse’s charts. He’s lucky to even be breathing now.” After talking with the nurse for a moment, she left, leaving Soren and the doctor the only ones with Ivor. “His wounds are grievous, and I will do all that I can, but it will be a miracle at best.”

Those words hit Soren hard, leaving him in bewilderment. He stared at the ground, not sure if he should be angry, upset, shocked, or a mix of all three.

“I’m sorry. Visiting hours will be ending soon, so say your goodbyes. You may come again tomorrow.” And with that, the doctor took his leave, leaving the door open just a smidge.

‘If he’s even alive tomorrow …’ Soren thought to himself before sitting down beside Ivor once again. He grabbed his hand once again, holding it gently. Never before had Soren felt sorrow like this. He brought Ivor’s hand to his lips, kissing the top of it. He was close to shedding tears before he heard frantic footsteps approaching. He looked up with the door slammed open. It was Milo, Jesse, and Lukas, and they all looked at Soren with panicked expressions. While the nurses yelled over them to keep quiet, Milo rushed over to Soren.

He stopped for a moment to glance at Ivor. He grimaced at Ivor’s awful state. Milo hadn’t realized how bad of shape he was in until now. Soren glanced up at him, confused and slightly angry.

“I thought you went to stop Reginald.” he scanned Milo’s new clothing and raised a brow. “Why are you here …?”

“Like I told these two, Reg and I were fired from the force.” he got closer to Soren. His voice was only a whisper. “Isa has her forces on their way. I can get you out of here safely, but we have to move quickly.”

Jesse and Lukas watched helplessly from the door, not knowing whether to look at Milo as he pleaded, Soren as he stared at Ivor, or Ivor as he lay there motionless. Things were getting dire, and if they didn’t act fast, they would all be arrested. They trusted that Soren would do the right thing.

Soren looked back at Ivor. He didn’t want to leave. Soren didn’t want this to be the last time he ever saw Ivor. It couldn’t end like this. But, risking his and the other’s lives just wasn’t worth it. He knelt over and kissed Ivor’s forehead before standing up and giving Milo a somber look.

“You know how we can leave secretly?” Soren asked. Milo nodded, still speaking in a whisper.

“I pulled my car up by the morgue. Literally no one goes back there except for people picking up the dead or the garbage.”

Lukas glanced over at him. “How do you know that?”

“When I was younger, I used to work here part time before joining the force.” He explained before looking back at Soren. “Well, what’s it gonna be? We need to move. Now.”

Soren finally agreed and they hurried out of the ICU, but kept a low profile. They didn’t want any of the doctor’s being weary or skeptical of them. Before leaving Ivors room, Soren glanced back one last time. He actually looked rather peaceful, given the situation. Knowing somewhere deep down that this wouldn’t be their last time seeing each other, Soren darted for the others.

Moments later, Ivor slowly opened his eyes. He flinched in pain, groaning as he attempted to move. It was useless, the pain was just too unbearable. He lay there, closed his eyes again and in a pained voice, he called out only above a whisper.

“Sor … en …”

\---

The four began rushing down the staircases towards the basement. That was the location of the morgue, cafeteria, as well as the maintenance services. They burst through the door to the basement, and thankfully, due to it being so late, there was no one in the basement halls. The only thing they’d have to worry about would be the maintenance workers, so they had to work fast. Milo motioned for them to follow, hurrying past the morgue and turning a corner. Before them was a very long hallway, with double doors at the end.

“That’s where we’re headed. Come on, hurry.” Milo explained, quickening his pace. There was a button to press up ahead that would open the doors, but if they were met with any workers, they would be stopped.

“Oh, wait, what about Soren’s car? It’s out front.” Jesse asked, cocking his head back to look in the direction of the front of the hospital.

“I can come and grab it later and drop it off at Soren’s place. So long as he’s alright with that.” Milo and the kids looked back towards Soren, but he said nothing.

They ran past the button, to which Milo smacked with his palm. The doors began opening, but Milo didn’t wait, forcing them open himself, leading everyone out into the morgue parking lot. Several garbage tanks and garages dotted the walls outside, but just as Milo had said, there was no one back here. Ahead of them was a rather ordinary silver car, presumably Milo’s. He reached into his pocket and unlocked the car, a ‘fssh’ noise echoing from the automobile. Jesse and Lukas ran to the backseats, Soren took shotgun, and Milo quite literally dove into the driver’s seat. Throwing it into drive, Milo took off without waiting for the others to buckle up. They had to beat Isa’s forces, as they would be arriving any moment.

Suddenly, a pained thought hit Lukas. “Wait, won’t they get Ivor?! If Isa’s police are coming to arrest us, won’t they just grab Ivor instead?”

“They can’t touch him. He is in the hospital. Ivor is healing, and the police can’t touch him until he’s recovered.” Milo turned back to Lukas. “We’ll just have to get there and grab him before they can.”

“They won’t stay there the entire time, right? The Police will have to retreat, right?” Lukas asked again, only for Milo to nod.

“Yeah. If they keep the hospital surrounded, people will think something’s up, and fear would get out of hand in the people. Isa knows better than to do that.”

They pulled out of the lot, and took off down one of the side streets. It was a good thing they left when they did, because now, they could hear the sirens of several police cars on the main road. They weren’t out of the woods yet, but thankfully, the police didn’t know what kind of car Milo drove. However, thanks to Milo’s quick thinking and excellent driving skills, they were able to get away from the hospital unscathed. But, now, they had to worry about getting Ivor out of there before he was arrested.

Milo pulled up to Soren’s place and the four met inside to talk about what would be their next plan of action. Soren locked the door behind them, and the four went further into the office. Luckily, as far as the police knew, they were still at the hospital, so they had some time to talk. Soren led them to a rundown kitchen area towards the back of the building. Dishes were piling up in the sink and on the counters, and papers scattered the table. It was obvious with how busy Soren and Ivor were, they didn’t have time to clean up much. They all sat down and remained silent for a bit. Milo was the one to break the silence.

“I know this may seem to come out of nowhere, but, Soren …” he turned to the ginger who looked back with a raised brow. “I want to join your mercenary service.”

Lukas and Jesse stared wide eyed at the ex-cop, startled by his proclamation. Had he not gotten into several fights with Soren and Ivor beforehand? Given, it was mostly Reginald from what they had heard, but why would he want to join them of all things? There was obviously no way Soren would let him join. Why would he?

Soren turned away, sighing. His eyes were closed, and he brought his fingers to his forehead. He seemed to be in a deep thought as he contemplated what Milo had just said. He finally turned back towards Milo as his eyes narrowed.

“How do we know you won’t hand us over to Isa? This could all be a rouse.” Soren replied quietly. “You could’ve just gotten us out of the hospital only to get us alone and arrest us.”

Milo smirked a bit. “You seriously think that’s something I’d do? Maybe Reginald, but, I truly don’t care about arresting you. I told Isa once, that you two know what you’re doing. You and Ivor have single handedly brought crime in Sky City down to an all time low.” he paused for a moment, trying to think of how he could persuade the mercenary. “Besides, you have the most info on TourqeDawg, and if we can kill that bastard, then Sky City will be set for life.”

Lukas smiled a bit. “I think we can trust him. Milo helped us when Cassie Rose held Jesse and I hostage. Not to mention he also let us into the hospital to see Ivor.” he turned over to Soren. “I think Milo would be a valuable asset to the team. It’s just us four in the mercenary service, right?’

Soren shook his head, rubbing his forehead again. “It’s not just us four– everyone you’ve met prior is part of it in some way. Gabriel, Ellegaard, Magnus– even Jack and Nurm, they’re all within our aliases. They may not be mercenaries directly, but they help us in every way they can.”

“So, they help us with information gathering basically?” Jesse asked. It made sense after all. Gabriel ran a pub, so people probably more often than not brought in some rumors. Ellegaard and Magnus owned that secret gun shop, so they must have some powerful figures under their fingers. And finally, Jack and Nurm own a pawn shop– they must be getting lots of people in their shop that may have information. It’s actually very smart having all these people on their side.

“Well, even so,” Lukas began, resting his elbows on the table. “I think we should bring Milo in. He has important information he can give to us about Isa and the rest of the police. Besides, he helped us get out before Isa could show up.” he turned over to the blonde man and gave him a nod of approval. “I believe he’s proven his worth.”

Soren shook his head and glared at Lukas. “You are forgetting one major thing Lukas. Remind me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t I about to fire your ass? Both you and Jesse caused Ivor to become gravely wounded– and I don’t need anymore of this bullshit anymore.You have no say in what Milo does or doesn't’t do. I’d need Ivor’s word anyways.”

Lukas felt his heart drop at Soren’s words. He was so sure that Milo had changed his mind earlier, but he couldn’t believe that Soren still thought that way. He slumped back into his chair and sighed, closing his eyes shut. Jesse glared at Soren, but before he could do or say anything, Milo stood up and raised his arms in front of both of them.

“Look, I know we’re all really bummed out over Ivor, and I know things are looking back, but I’m sure everything will turn out alright. Give them another chance, Soren– they’re good kids.” Milo had only had a week to get to know the two mercenaries, but he could tell they didn’t have a bad bone in their body. Perhaps that wasn’t a good thing, considering their line of work, but at the same time that also meant they wouldn’t mean to cause Ivor harm. “We can discuss all this when Ivor is better. In the meantime, I can take them home and we can all get a good night’s rest … what do you say?” 

The room fell silent. An eerie silence fell over the house, and only the sounds of cars in the distance and the bustling city streets echoed. Soren groaned angrily and stood up, slamming his chair against the table, causing Jesse and Lukas especially to flinch. Soren glared at the trio, especially Lukas.

“You better hope Ivor will be alright, Lukas.” Soren said sternly. “Because if he isn’t, I will make sure you get what you deserve. Both you and Jesse. Then you won’t ever have to worry about making that kind of mistake ever again. I will kill both of you, for killing him.”

With that, he walked off, leaving Milo mildly disgruntled himself. He rolled his eyes and looked back at Jesse and Lukas, noticing the worry in both of their eyes. Milo simply assured them that he’d get over it and gestured them to follow him outside where he’d escort them home. The two obliged and were ready for a night of rest.

\---

The car ride home was filled with tension. Luka wouldn’t stop jittering as he thought of Soren’s cold words. Jesse tried comforting him, and all Milo could do was look on as the other blonde constantly fretted over what was going on. What Soren said was definitely startling to say the least, and in all his years fighting the red head and Ivor, he knew he always stuck by his word, but what he said was taking it way out of line. He turned back to the two as they neared their apartment complex.

“Look, guys, don’t take what Soren said so seriously. I won’t let him do anything to you. After all, it was an honest mistake, and there was nothing you could’ve done otherwise.” he gave them an encouraging smile. “Let’s try to stay positive. Ivor will be okay, and everything will go back to being normal soon– I promise.”

Jesse and Lukas said nothing and remained quiet for the remainder of the ride home. Everything that happened today felt so surreal to them. On top of everything, TorqueDawg got away, and everything slowly fell apart afterwards. After Jesse gave Lukas reassurance back at the hospital, he was beginning to believe things would actually turn out alright, but after Soren’s outburst back at his place, it just reassured him that things weren’t going to be ok. Not at all.

Milo pulled up to the curb and glanced back at them once more before they left. “Seriously, I think he’s gonna pull through, guys. Ivor’s a tough son of a bitch– nothing can keep him down.” he narrowed his eyes and gave them a smirk. “Trust me. I know.” The duo only nodded and helped themselves out of the car, making their way towards the apartments. Milo rolled his window down and called out to them once again.

“I’ll give you a call tomorrow. Keep you updated.”

Jesse turned back and gave him a half smile. “Thank you, Milo.”

Milo nodded, rolled up his window, and sped off, leaving Jesse and Lukas alone as they headed inside. It had gotten to be very late, and Jesse was feeling the effects of drowsiness. He could go for a nice, long sleep right about now. But, first thing’s first, he needed to make sure Lukas was alright. The moment they got into the elevator, Jesse talked to him in a quiet tone.

“Lukas, don’t worry about what Soren said .. he’s all talk, but he never does anything.” Lukas didn’t reply though, and so Jesse went quiet, unsure of what he could say to move the conversation forward. They finally reached their penthouse floor and walked out of the elevator, quietly making their way towards their place. Just as Jesse reached for the key in his pocket, Lukas finally spoke up.

“What if Ivor really does die …?” he said nervously. “Soren is already unpredictable and destructive … What if he really meant what he said …?”

Jesse turned back to him and brought his hand to Lukas’ shoulder reassuringly. “He won’t.” Jesse wanted to say more to reassure him further, but he couldn’t find the right words for the life of him. Lukas only shook his head and sighed, knowing quite well that Jesse meant good things, but it just wasn’t enough. Jesse reluctantly opened the door to their place and immediately saw two very happy people in their midst.

Both Olivia and Axel seemed ecstatic, meanwhile Petra seemed to retain her cool, calm, and collected attitude. As soon as Jesse and Lukas walked in, Olivia was the first to rush over and grab Jesse by the hands excitedly. Lukas cocked his head in confusion as he asked what was going on. Axel and Petra joined the three of them by the door.

“Only the best thing ever!” Axel explained happily as he and Olivia glanced back at one another. “Olivia and I went job hunting today, and we were able to find something great with great pay!”

Jesse tried forgetting what just happened and smiled happily at the two of them. He knew they had been trying to find a job, and although Petra had expressed her problems with this earlier, he knew this would be for the best. Lukas, of all people, was even smiling a bit.

“That’s so great! I’m so happy for you two! Where are you guys working?” Jesse asked in an upbeat attitude. Anything to show that nothing was wrong– even if that was a complete and utter lie.

“We met these two nice shop owners downtown. They run a really nice boutique shop, and they both seem to be really nice themselves. I think their names were … Ellegaard and … Magnus? Yeah, that sounds about right.” Olivia explained, glancing back up at Axel with delight in her eyes.

And just like that, any happiness Jesse and Lukas had for them vanished, along with their own collected attitude. One could see fear in their eyes, and Petra was quick to pick up on it, as well as Axel and Olivia.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Isn’t this a good thing?” Axel asked, raising his unibrow in confusion. “I thought you of all people wanted us to get a job, Jesse.”

“You can’t work there!”Lukas blurted out. “Ellegaard and Magnus– they work with Soren and Ivor!”

Jesse shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead as Lukas explained everything to their confused friends. About how Magnus and Ellegaard ran a private gun shop, and how the boutique was just a mock up. Everyone’s expressions turned from ones of happiness to ones of confusion and terror. Since everything was out now, might as well tell them what happened today.

Jesse took control of the story and explained what their mission entailed today– about how they were meant to capture TorqueDawg and how Ivor ended getting practically gutted. He watched his friend’s faces contort into ones of horror and disgust. Finally, Lukas ended the story with Soren’s parting words to them. Everyone went quiet as they sat there, trying to take everything in.

“Guys, this is insane. You need to break away from these mercenaries. You’re going to end up getting yourselves killed!” Petra exclaimed. She then turned to Axel and Olivia. “And I think it’s a bad idea for you two to get involved with these illegal gun shop owners. If they really are affiliated with Ivor and Soren, then we could all be in big trouble. I’m not up for getting arrested.”

“Don’t worry, Soren practically fired us when Ivor was injured. That bastard said some awful things to Lukas, and I won’t forgive him that easily.” Jesse explained. Lukas looked away, feeling everyone’s gaze on him. “Until we find out what Ivor’s condition is tomorrow, we’re as good as fired.”

“But, what Soren said to you was really fucked up, Jesse.” Axel explained. “He threatened you two with death– and we won’t let that happen.”

“Guys, this is all getting blown way out of proportion. Soren’s not going to do anything like that. The police would be after him in seconds.” Jesse explained, trying to reason with them, but nothing got through to them. Olivia actually spoke up,

“But, if he’s a mercenary, he’s gotten away with hundreds of murders … Jesse, you and Lukas could really be in danger if Ivor dies …”

Suddenly, Lukas stormed off towards hi room, groaning angrily and aggravated as he did so, leaving his friends there to watch him walk off. He slammed his door and all was quiet once again. Petra turned towards Jesse and shook her head.

“We won’t let them hurt you or Lukas, Jesse. You’re way too important to us, and we have to stick together. We’re gonna beat this together.” Petra explained, offering him a smile. Axel and Olivia agreed as they all came in for a group hug.

After a much needed hug from his friends, it was time to get some rest. Jesse figured it’d be best to leave Lukas to himself. After all, he probably had a lot on his mind, and so did everyone else in the house that night. Now was the time to relax, and in the morning, they’d worry about Ivor.

It was early in the morning and Jesse was the first one to wake up. He had his phone right beside him as he sat on the couch. It was so early in fact that the morning light was barely visible in the night sky. Dawn was approaching, but it was still quite dark. There was a silence in the apartment that he quite liked. Everyone was asleep, and he was the only one up, and that was just the way he liked it. Soren had explained in the car ride back to his place that either of them would get a phone call discussing Ivor’s condition, so Jesse kept his phone beside him all night, and when he couldn’t sleep, he simply came out into the living room and waited.

A few minutes passed and he heard a door open down the hallway. He glanced back to see Lukas in his pajamas as he walked out into the living room. Between his bedhead and his tired look, Jesse assumed he had a rough night.

“Couldn’t get any sleep either?” Jesse asked. Lukas shook his head and made his way over towards Jesse to sit down beside him. They sat there quietly, both gazing at their phones– the only light that illuminated the dark room.

“I’m really scared, Jesse …” Lukas finally said. “I’m scared that Ivor’s gonna pass, and that Soren’s gonna have his way with us.” he shook his head and lay it against the headrest of the couch. “This all seems so unreal …”

“It’s gonna be alright, Lukas.” he glanced over at him, able to barely make out his dark shadow in the dimly lit room. “You’ll see, things will be–”

Before Jesse could even finish his thoughts, his phone began buzzing, and immediately both of them were snapped back into reality. On Jesse’s phone, the hospital was calling, and it made both their hearts begin to race. This was the moment of truth. With answering this call, this would determine their career, as well as what Soren would do to them. They both nodded at each other and Jesse swiped his finger across the screen, setting it to speakerphone.

“Hello?” Jesse asked, bringing the phone in between he and Lukas. Lukas listened intently as a woman on the other line began speaking.

“Yes, hello– am I speaking with Jesse or Lukas?”

“Yes, you are.”

“We have something to tell you about Ivor.”

Lukas clenched his fists, and Jesse’s breathing became shaky and he agreed for her to go on. The woman began again.

“We’ll leave it for you to deliver onto Soren, but, Ivor is doing just fine. He’s regained consciousness, and although he’s in a lot of pain– he will recover. He needs to spend a few days in the hospital, but he should be good to go soon. You, Lukas, as well as Soren will need to come in n the next few days to sign the release forms. Okay? You have a nice day now. Goodbye.”

And with that she hung up. Jesse was so overcome with happiness, that his phone dropped out of his hands and onto the carpeted floor at his feet. He looked over at Lukas who already had his head buried in his knees, looking as if he were crying.

“Oh … thank God …” Lukas said in a shaky voice. He brought his head back up, being glad it was hidden in the darkness. “Oh, Jesse, he’s alive! Ivor’s alive!”

Jesse was met by a hug from Lukas as the two sat there, laughing, crying, and hugging it out. Their career was safe, Soren would take back his word, and above all else, Ivor was alive and well. Once they regained themselves, Jesse picked his phone back up and began dialing Soren’s number. Once again, he put it on speakerphone and awaited for him to answer.

It took a couple of tries, but finally he answered. His voice was groggy and sleepy, as if they had just woken him up. He groaned into the phone and demanded an explanation as to why he was being called so early.

Barely able to contain his excitement, Jesse spoke happily into the phone.

“Soren, there’s no reason to worry about Ivor. The nurse said he woke up, and he’s doing fine. You can bring him home in a couple of days.”

Soren didn’t reply, but the duo thought they heard him crying over the phone. Perhaps it was just their imagination? Either way, Soren thanked them for calling him, and prompted them to meet up with him at the hospital later that day. Agreeing to do so, Jesse and Lukas hung up and were able to finally get some decent sleep for the rest of the morning.

When they met with Soren and Milo at the hospital, they were glad to hear praise come from Soren as well as revoke firing them. Soren seemed in a better mood, and even Ivor was up and able to talk. However, even with a grievous wound, his insults and mockery didn’t stop. Good ol’ Ivor was back! Not only that, but Soren and Ivor even made Milo a part of the team as well. With Ivor on the road to recovery, and recruiting Milo as well as Axel and Olivia into the team, things were finally starting to look up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohohoho I know how to make hearts hurt, boy oh boy~   
> Writing Lukas' breakdown was really fun to do, honestly. 
> 
> That and we finally get to see a softer, more human side of Soren. He's not all badass and angry as we originally thought, and we get to see a more humane side of him. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	10. I Hate This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter includes an (almost) sex scene, so if you're uncomfortable with this, you can find a TL;DR version in the ending notes.

“Sir, you should try to get up and walk around.”

“Do I have to? I think I need more pain meds, nurse.”

“Ivor, just get up. I’ll go with you.”

With a sigh, Ivor sat up, flinching at the pain in his navel region. As he grabbed his stomach, he threw off the sheets and turned towards Soren. Now wearing a hospital gown, covering the bandage wounds, he stood up. Soren took his arm and put his free arm around his back, helping him stand. Ivor grabbed hold of the IV stand for support as he looked helplessly and slightly annoyed over at the nurse.

“Just for a little while, Ivor. You need to get back on your legs. Afterwards, you can come back and lay down. Soon you’ll be able to go home.” the nurse glanced over at Soren and the two shared a glance of agreement as she walked out of the room.

“This is dumb. I’m fine. I can go home now, if I wanted.” Ivor complained as he began walking slowly. He was forced to eat his own words when he grabbed his stomach in pain.

“You were the one who just said you needed pain meds.” Soren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, just do what the nurses say, and you’ll be able to go home sooner than later.”

Ivor glared at Soren, yanking away from his grasp. Attempting to walk on his own with the support of the IV stand was proving to be difficult, but he had to show both Soren and the nurses that he was good to leave. He had to be. He couldn’t stay stuck in this hospital forever. Especially with TorqueDawg on the loose, and Isa trying to get Ivor. The longer he stayed in the hospital, the more risks they were taking.

Ivor felt a sharp twinge of pain in his chest. Cringing and closing his eyes tightly, he fell to his knees,holding himself as he shook. Soren rushed to his side, calling for the aid of a nurse. Ivor gasped for air, and tried bearing the pain, but it was too much and he passed out.

He awoke hours later to find his room empty. Soren was gone, and his room was dark. Ivor brought his hands to his face, pushing back his bangs and groaning angrily. That was beyond embarrassing. Now he would more than likely have to stay longer– exactly what he needed. Ivor knew he had to get back into the swing of things, and he knew that Soren, Jesse, and Lukas couldn’t handle things on their own.

No matter, maybe he could do some sweet talking with the nurse to make it so he could leave early. If it wins Soren over, clearly it’d work on the nurse. Or he’d get his face buried in the ground by Soren– yeah, definitely the latter. Despite the pain, he eventually fell asleep, hoping tomorrow would be the day he could finally go home.

—

“Ivor, are you sure you’re well enough to head out?” Lukas asked concerned.

“Yeah, I think you should take it easy for a while longer.” Jesse added.

Ivor shook his head, declaring he was more than ready to leave. He had rested up, and later that night the bandages could come off to his wound could get some fresh air on it. Ivor had already changed into a more casual look and out of the hospital gown. Clearly, he didn’t want to stay there anymore.

“Either way, Milo is waiting for us at the back entrance by the morgue.” Soren said quietly. “We’ll just have to insist the nurse that you’re good to walk–”

“Which I am.” Ivor insisted.

“You’re really not, but, you’ll have to be for just a few minutes. Isa has this place on lockdown, and I’m surprised she hasn’t told the nurses who we are. Either way, we need to be careful.” Soren explained, glancing back and noticing a nurse coming in with a wheelchair.

“Alright, Ivor, let’s get you out of here.” she said happily, with a cheerful smile on her face.

Ivor smiled as he stood up, ignoring the pain as best he could. “Ahh, thank you, miss! However, as you can see– I’m standing perfectly on my own. I’m sure we can find our way out on our own.”

“I’m sure you could, but, it’s protocol, you see.” she explained. “This is something we do for every patient.”

Ivor scratched the back of his head. “Seriously, miss, I’ll be fine. I’ve got two strong men with me. The Blonde one is just to carry my suit.”

Lukas gave him a glare at that statement and noticed Ivor smirk.

“… I really shouldn’t be letting this go …” the nurse said quietly, a smile disappearing from her face. “But, you have healed quite a bit– far better than we thought you would …” she finally nodded and backed out of the room. “Alright, Ivor, no need for a wheelchair today. Just be careful!”

She turned to Soren who had declared before picking him up that they lived together. “You said you and Ivor live together, correct?” she walked over to Soren and handed him some medications. “This is what we’ve been giving Ivor for the past week. If he gets any sharp pains, he should take this. Also, the bandages can come off later tonight. He should be able to shower then.”

Soren nodded and thanked her, tucking the medications away into his coat pocket. The nurse backed out and returned the wheelchair, allowing the four to pass. As Ivor walked, there was an obvious limp that he had, and the nurse could call his bluff, but that didn’t matter– they were getting out of here and would find Milo waiting for them.

They took the path that Milo had shown them through the back entrance. They were slower than the day they had come back here before, due to Ivor’s injuries, but somehow they got through without seeing a single worker. One would think they’d keep this hallway under tight surveillance, but Soren for one was glad that they didn’t.

They finally found the back entrance they had been using for the last week and hurried out into the parking lot where they found Milo waiting promptly for them. Everyone hurried inside, Soren helping Ivor into the front seat and then scooting into the backseat with Lukas and Jesse before Milo sped off. The hospital didn’t have any police in front of it, which was a good sign for them– but it was also strange. It was almost as if they weren’t trying to catch Ivor at this point. It made Soren undeniably worried about the situation at hand.

“So, Milo …” Ivor said groaning in pain as he held his stomach. “Soren tells me you wanna join our Mercenary Service? Is this true?”

Milo nodded. “It is. Reg and I were fired from the force, and I haven’t seen him or Isa since the day you were admitted to the hospital. As I told Soren before, you lot know what your doing– far more than what the police are doing.” he turned over to Ivor quickly. “So, yes, I do want to join you guys. Please think it over.”

Ivor chuckled a bit, rolling down the window to feel the crisp spring air against his face, his hair blowing towards the window. “Well, Soren, I don’t see why not. So long as he’s telling the truth, I see no reason he can’t join in. Hell, he could probably handle himself better than those two back there.”

“Uh, we’re right here, Ivor.” Jesse said, giving him an annoyed wave. Lukas agreed with a nod, only resulting in Ivor laughing.

“No matter, Soren and I can discuss it later and get back to you tomorrow. Sound good, Milo?” Ivor said, eyeing in the direction of the former policeman.

Milo nodded. “Sounds good. I can bring you any information I learn about Isa and her police force, until then, I guess it’s time for you to rest up, huh?”

“So it would seem–” Ivor sighed, resting his elbow on the window edge. “Although, I’m sure I’ll be ready to get back to work tomorrow–”

Almost all at once, everyone in the car shouted back at Ivor with a ‘no!” to which Ivor raised a brow at all of them.

“Ivor, you lost a lot of blood! Not to mention you keep flinching at the pain and you still have the staples in you– you’re gonna have to rest!” Lukas exclaimed. “It won’t be good for you to do anything rash on the battlefield.”

Just as Ivor was about to argue back, Soren spoke up. “Ivor, you’re not ready to get back to work tomorrow. You’re just going to have to suck it up, and rest while you can. We’ll get those bandages off tonight and go from there.”

Ivor said nothing and turned away, groaning and mumbling to himself.

—

Eventually, Milo pulled up to Soren and Ivor’s place. Ivor began getting himself out of the car, grunting as he did, but Soren was faster and was there to aid him. It was kind of sweet, until Ivor pushed him away. Milo shook his head in disbelief. One of these days, Ivor would have to accept help, whether he liked it or not.

“I’m gonna bring these two back home then be on my way myself. Call me later, I guess? Let me know if I got the job?” Milo asked, cocking his head at the two.

Soren nodded, glancing back. “Yeah, I’ll call you later.”

With that, the trio said goodbye to Soren and Ivor and made their way down the street, leaving the two alone. Ivor walked up to the door, waiting for Soren to unlock it. He was pleased to finally have the hospital smell rid of him when he entered his house, smelling the familiarness of their home. The same old creaky ceiling fan above their desk, the desk full of cluttered papers and the like, the dim lighting– he already felt at home once again.

“God, it’s great being back …” Ivor said, a smile slowly appearing on his face. “It feels like I’ve been gone for an eternity.”

Soren nodded in agreement. “It has been pretty quiet without you here. Gotta say, I kinda enjoyed it.” he chuckled a bit as he continued on past their office. “I’m only kidding. I missed you. You’d probably like something to eat, huh? Can’t imagine the hospital food was any good.”

At that exact moment, Ivor heard his stomach growl. He hadn’t realized, but he almost always refused to eat at the hospital. Not to mention all he was offered for a long time was broth. Not very filling to begin with. Already his mouth was drooling at the thought of Soren’s cooking and he agreed wholeheartedly.

Ivor struggled to sit without feeling any pain, but no matter how little he moved, he could either feel the staples tightening, a sore feeling envelope his chest, or a sharp pain shoot up his body– it felt as if he could never get a break. He was finally able to sit down, groaning in both frustration and pain. He sighed, bringing his head to relax on the kitchen table. He looked over to see Soren preparing chicken noodle soup– the classic, canned kind you’d eat when you’re sick. On one hand, Ivor was starving, so he was happy to finally get some food. On the other hand, he was embarrassed and angry that it had to be that of all things. Not to mention he was slightly disappointed Soren wasn’t making a full blown meal.

Within minutes, the smell from the heated soup began to fill the room. Ivor inhaled, letting out a sigh. The smell of the hospital was still lingering, so it was nice to have scents that weren’t completely disgusting. Soren poured two bowls and brought one to Ivor.

“Sorry it’s no gourmet, fancy dinner, but I hope you like it nonetheless.” Soren explained, setting the bowl in front of him as he sat at the other end of the table.

“It doesn’t have to be for me to know you made it with love~” Ivor said jokingly. Soren only chuckled, adding the insult of ‘gaywad’.

They ate in silence– aside from the gross eating noises Ivor made. Soren watched him as he ate, and noticed how quickly he was devouring it. It worried him that Ivor really hadn’t eaten much in the hospital. He knew he was stubborn, and he knew he didn’t like others caring for him, but after being hurt that badly, he wished Ivor would let people help him.

They finished their late lunch and passed their evening by filling out some paperwork for Milo. Soren insisted he could do it on his own, but Ivor didn’t want any of that. He was helping and that was that. So, to improvise, Soren brought the papers into the living room where they could relax on the couch to get things done in a comfier way.

Hours had passed, and Ivor could feel the effects of drowsiness coming in full swing, but Soren was still hard at work. He set his own paperwork down on the coffee table before them, and gently nuzzled up against his partner, laying his head in the crook of Soren’s neck. He looked over confused as to why Ivor was so clingy and huggy. Usually, he never acted like this … unless he was tired or wanted sex. Either way, Soren sighed and dropped his papers onto the table, before glancing over at Soren.

“Tired, babe?” Soren asked, bringing his hand over to Ivor’s bangs and parting them from his forehead.

“Very.” Ivor replied, blushing faintly as Soren did so.

“We need to take those bandages off. And you should really shower before anything. You smell awful.” Soren insisted. Ivor would’ve retaliated back, but he was too tired to care. He let Soren help him up and up the stairs to where their bathroom was.

Soren flickered on the lightswitch, watching the bathroom light flicker on. Their home was really shabby– and mercenary work meant some bills didn’t get paid. Also why Ivor worked part time at Gabriel’s. Somehow they had to make money, even if it wasn’t a pretty way. Ivor sat down on the toilet, and removed his shirt flinching as he felt the staples move against his skin. Soren suddenly remembered that Ivor had to take the medication that the nurse prescribed him. Telling him he’d be back, he went to go find it downstairs.

Retrieving the pills as well as a foam cup of water, he made his way back upstairs. When he turned the corner to see Ivor still on the toilet, his heart sank. He sat there, completely naked, with bandages covering his navel all the way up to the base of his neck. If this hurt Soren this much, he could only expect what he’d feel when the bandages were off. Soren sighed, bringing the pills and the water over to Ivor.

“Here, take these.” he handed him two rather large pills and the water. Ivor promptly ingested the medicine, and drinking every last bit of the water as well. Usually, seeing Ivor with nothing on would have aroused Soren something fierce, but seeing him hurt and seeing how upset Ivor looked, it just made Soren hurt just as much.

He noticed tape over the bandages, and reached his hands towards it. With a little struggle the tape was pulled off, and Soren began unravelling the bandages from around Ivor’s body. Every second he got closer to seeing the wound, the more his heart raced. Ivor simply raised his arms as Soren continued taking them off. Soren dared not look at Ivor’s body until they were all off, and that’s just what he did. When the bandages were removed, Soren’s eyes widened. He felt like he was going to tear up.

The scar was massive– even bigger than he had remembered. There had to be at least ten staples on Ivor’s body, leading from just above his belly button to top right side of his chest. Saline and blood still faintly stained his body, and overall, it looked horribly painful. Shakily, Soren brought his hands to Ivor’s chest, just barely grazing the scar. This all felt so surreal. He never would’ve thought he’d get hurt this badly. Tears began welling up in Soren’s eyes as he felt overcome with grief. How could he have let this happen? Why did this have to happen? Why to Ivor of all people? Soren’s hands dropped to Ivor’s waist as his head dipped. He began crying.

Ivor bit the inside of his lip. “That bad …?” he asked. It was hard for him to look down, especially with Soren’s head right in front of where he wanted to look. He almost wished Soren would get up so he could check the mirror, but he didn’t move him. He brought his hands to Soren’s hair and held him in his lap.

“Oh, Ivor, I’m so sorry …” he whimpered. Crying was something Soren did so rarely, you’d figure the man didn’t have any feelings. But, what he felt now was genuine. “How could I have let this happen? I’m so, so sorry …”

“Soren …” Ivor brought a hand to Soren’s chin tilting it up. Tears stained his face, dripping to his beard. “This isn’t your fault. Accidents happen. I’m alive and fine now, okay?”

Soren still overcome with grief stood up and hugged Ivor tightly. “I promise, I won’t ever let this happen to you again.” his voice was shaky, and his hands were even shakier. He loved Ivor so much, and although he didn’t show it much out in the field, in private, he cared deeply for him.

“I’m fine, Soren …” Ivor insisted. The two pulled away and Ivor gave him a kiss of reassurance. “I should probably hop in the shower. If you leave me clothes then I can join you in bed, sound good?”

Soren nodded, “Yeah …” he turned away from Ivor to turn the shower on. Once it was ready for him he turned back. “If you need anything– anything at all, you call for me.”

Ivor nodded and hopped in while Soren grabbed him some boxers and a shirt to wear. He knew Ivor didn’t like layers when he slept, but they needed to protect those staples. One wrong move could end badly. He lay the clothes neatly on the toilet and took one last look at the shirt he chose. It was an old shirt that he and the rest of their friends had gotten Ivor when they first came to Sky City. He chuckled, remembering those fond memories and folded it for Ivor as he headed off towards their room.

—

Soren found himself layng in bed when he heard the shower stop running. It was apparent that Ivor could do that much on his own at least. He lay there in bed in complete darkness and silence, only the whirring of the fan overhead. Out in the hallway, the lights flickered off and in came Ivor, looking just as tired as Soren.

Carefully he climbed into bed, flinching once again at the pain. Soren only stared at him, visualizing the scar in his head, and shivering at the thought of it. How Ivor was even able to stand and do any functions whatsoever was beyond him. They laid there for a few moments, not saying a word to one another. It was just nice knowing Ivor was there, hurt, but still alive. He had lived, and that much Soren was grateful for.

“You try to get some sleep, alright, Ivor?” Soren insisted. Ivor didn’t reply right away, but when he did, it took Soren completely off guard.

“I don’t want to sleep just yet.”

Within seconds, he found Ivor attempting to mount him. Ivor shakily sat in Soren’s lap, shaking as pain flooded his body. Soren looked at him confused, able to just barely make out his face in the darkness. Already, his erection was growing. Ivor chuckled as he brought one hand to Soren’s chest and the other to Soren’s groin.

“I’ve been craving this for a week, Soren.” Ivor admitted, a faint blush crossing his cheeks. “I don’t want to sleep just yet.”

“Ivor … I don’t think you should be doing this soon … you could injure yourself …” Soren had been craving it as well, but the last thing he wanted was for Ivor to hurt himself, or worse, open up his wound.

“I’ll be fine.” Ivor insisted, prodding at Soren’s boxers, resulting in a sigh from the ginger. He slid his hand inside, inching towards Soren to kiss him. Once they parted, Soren sighed in defeat.

“Just … be careful. Please.” Soren brought his arms to Ivor’s thighs, ultimately trailing to his member which was already bulging. He reached a hand inside, while the other instinctively reached up towards his chest. Soren stopped himself midway and slowly reach back towards his thigh.

He heard pleasured moans coming from Ivor as he felt him on his own bulge. Soren began pumping faster for Ivor, which made him arch his back– and suddenly he let out a pained scream as he fell over. He held his chest, bared his teeth, and cringed from the sudden sharp pain. Soren immediately sat up, staring worriedly at his partner.

“Ivor, what happened?!” he asked, looking over Ivor’s silhouette. He threw off the covers and raced over the lightswitch, flicking it on and then back to Ivor’s side. He was laying there in a fetal position, holding himself as he groaned.

“Lay on your back and let me see your stomach.” Soren demanded, helping Ivor flip onto his back. He rolled up his shirt, but saw no signs of bleeding. However, the area around the staples seemed red, and almost seemed to be bruising.

“God … oh, it hurts to bad …” Ivor said in between pained breaths. He was tempted to just take his hands and claw at the pained area, of course, that’s only make it worse. Soren feared the worst. What if he was internally bleeding? What if something more than just a sharp pain was going on?

“We should call an ambulance. Something could be wrong.” Soren began on his way out of the room, to which he heard a panicked cry.

“NO!” Ivor cried, shooting up into a sitting position. Again, another sharp pain shot up through his body. He held his stomach again, looking up at Soren with pleading eyes. “Don’t do that. Please. I don’t want to go back. Ever.”

“But, Ivor–”

“No, Soren. I’m … I’m fine. I just …”

Soren walked back over and sat beside him, placing his hand on his leg and rubbing soothingly. Ivor glanced over at him and shook his head.

“Please … don’t call. The pain is going away now, but …” he put his head down in defeat. “It was my fault for arching my back. It pulled on the staples …”

“Let’s just get some sleep, okay?” Soren asked. Ivor nodded, receiving a kiss from Soren before he headed to his side of the bed.

Ivor attempted to lay down without hurting himself, but nothing changed. He still groaned in pain, same as usual. He turned away towards Soren and held his chest, running his own fingers across the ridges of his scar.

Soren inched closer and wrapped his arm carefully over Ivor, holding him close. He knew Ivor would try and pull another crazy stunt soon, and he didn’t want that happening. The immediate thought was him going to Gabriel’s to work the pole.

“You should take a break from your part time job at Gabriel’s … just until your staples come out.” Soren explained. “You really don’t want to hurt yourself. If we’re trying to lay low, you gotta stay out of the hospital.”

Ivor’s fists clenched tightly at the thought of not being able to make money. He felt worthless. He felt like he was leaving everything to Soren and the others. And, if they were going to recruit Milo, well, that was another thing Ivor had to worry about.

In a fit of anger, Ivor pounded his fist into the mattress, leaving Soren staring on in confusion. Shaky breaths escaped Ivor as he tried talking, but only angry sobs escaped.

“I hate this!” he cried. “I hate this so much!”

Soren only held him closer, relaxing his chin in the nape of Ivor’s neck.

“If this is what I have to put up with, I should’ve died on the spot … what’s the point in continuing to do this if I’m just going to be crippled for the rest of my life?!” Ivor cried.

Soren sat up, utterly disgusted with how Ivor was thinking. “Don’t say shit like that, Ivor! You lived for a reason! You’re gonna kick this injury’s ass, and you’ll be fine! Don’t ever think that way again!”

Ivor sighed shakily. “I can’t stand it, Soren … I hate this …”

Soren sighed as well and held onto him once again. “It’ll get better Ivor. I promise …”

“I hate this …” he whimpered. “I hate this …”

This repeated for several long minutes until finally, Ivor went quiet. The duo fell asleep, and Ivor knew he had to find someone to fill his role until he was better.

But, who …?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TL;DR - Ivor gets to go home with Soren and he gets his bandages taken off revealing several staples in his stomach. Every time he moves, a pain surges through his body. When he tries to have sex, he ends up hurting himself again, and becomes incredibly angry and upset. Everything he could do/liked to do has become a chore now, and he hates it. 
> 
> I love writing angst~   
> I'm a sadist and like hurting people c; 
> 
> I hope you all suffered~


	11. Confidence

It was early in the morning when Jesse got a text from Milo. He had got the job! Soren and Ivor wanted them all to meet up at Gabriel’s pub, which was no surprise seeing how much time the mercenaries frequented that place. Milo explained that he’d be by shortly to pick him and Lukas up, so that was Jesse’s cue to get ready for the day. As he dressed, he watched Reuben roll around happily in the bed, making happy pig noises as he slept. Jesse only laughed at his old pig– even in Reuben’s old age, he still had time to play. Once he was ready, he turned to his pet and called for him to come. Reuben’s ears perked at his owner’s call and dashed towards the door, lazily and sleepily. Jesse opened the door and saw everyone gathered at the breakfast nook already.

Axel and Lukas were talking about this and that– the usual things you’d talk about over breakfast. The weather, how their morning was going so far, probably how bad you felt that you almost cost your boss their life– either way, the two seemed to be getting along, which was much more than Jesse could have ever hoped for. He knew that Axel and Lukas didn’t always get along great in the past, but he was glad that the two had set their differences aside.

Petra was leaning up against the wall, poptart in her mouth, scrolling on her phone. Due to the seats being taken, she was sure to show everyone she didn’t need a seat, though he could tell somewhere in her sleep deprived face that she wanted to sit down. And then there was Olivia, standing in front of the stove, cooking up some scrambled eggs for everyone. Jesse always enjoyed her cooking– because she actually knew how to. He could smell the eggs from in his room, and this was something he was looking forward to. When his friends noticed him, they gave him a proper morning greeting.

“What’s everyone doing? You all look like you’re having a good time.” Jesse said happily, walking over to the coffee pot.

“Well, since everyone else is already one step ahead of me– I’m trying to find a job somewhere as well …” Petra said aloud. “This penthouse costs a lot, so I really gotta step up my game.”

Lukas perked up at her mentioning trying to find a job. “Well, if Jesse and I are working with Ivor and Soren, and these two are with Ellegaard and Magnus, what if you got a job with Jack and Nurm?” he looked towards Jesse who had a similar big grin on his face.

“Who?” she asked, raising a brow as she peered up from her phone. “God, guys, I don’t wanna get saddled with this illegal shit– I’ve already been selling drugs–”

“No, no, you don’t understand! Working with Jack and Nurm is probably the safest job in the city!” Jesse informed her. “They’re good friends of Ivor and Soren, sure, but they run a Pawn Shop. Nothing illegal about that, right?”

Petra’s eyes seemed to glow at the mention of a pawn shop. Petra was always the sort of person who liked cool stuff for no reason whatsoever. She smirked a bit, always wanting to have visited a pawn shop growing up. Sure, they had this old antique store in the country where they lived, but that just couldn’t live up to a massive pawn shop.

“Oh I’ve heard of that place!” Olivia explained as she turned the stove off. “Remember, Axel? We saw it when we went to go to our interview with Magnus and Ellegaard! We passed by it on the bus, and it does look pretty big. You should go give it a shot Petra!”

“The worst they can say is no.” Axel added in. “And by the sounds of it, you get to bargain and haggle a lot there, so it’s right up your alley.”

Petra gave a chuckle and tucked her phone away into her back pocket. “Fine. You guys win. I’ll go check these guys out. They do sound pretty cool.”

“Oh, you’re gonna love them, Petra.” Lukas said, a smile on his face. “Jack is such a dork. Made Jesse and I bust out laughing the first time we met him. And for being a Villager, Nurm can be pretty emotive too.”

All three of their roomates looked between Jesse and Lukas with confused expressions. Oh yeah, they never told them that Nurm was a Villager. Villagers were notorious for being strange and some even went as far as calling Villagers an array of derogatory terms. But, Nurm? He proved every one of those stereotypes wrong for sure.

“Nurm’s a villager?” Petra asked, slightly unamused. “One of my bosses is gonna be a Villager?”

“Look, we thought the same thing too. But, Nurm is really smart. He’s a really nice guy too– both of them are. I think you’ll really grow to like them Petra. Just give them a chance!” Jesse said, turning towards Olivia to go get some food.

“You’re one to talk, Jesse.” Petra said as she walked towards him and Olivia. “Weren’t you and Lukas telling us not to get involved with the mercenaries due to the possibility of us getting arrested?”

Jesse had tried forgetting that tidbit, but here it was, back in his face again. Now all of his roommates were getting tangled up in this. Sure, the possibility of all of them getting arrested was out there, but they needed money. They needed jobs. This was at least something they could all do until they get there footing. Lukas wanted to be a writer, Olivia wanted to be a model, Axel just wanted to do a job with his hands, and Petra … well, she wanted to see the world. As for Jesse, he was never sure what he wanted to do with his life. But, getting to meet all these new people, and getting to see Sky City for what it really was, this was more of a wake-up-call than ever before. They had to go through with this. If they did, and they got the money they needed, then they could chase their future careers.

“I know what I said,” Jesse insisted. He went quiet as he scooped up the eggs onto a plate. “But, we all need the money. Isa and the police force, for some godforsaken reason, don’t have Ivor or Soren’s whereabouts yet. They also don’t know that Jack, Nurm, Ellegaard, Magnus, or Gabriel is affiliated with them. We’re safe for now.”

“I hope you’re right, Jesse.” Axel said, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m all for excitement and an adrenaline rush, but, I’m not looking to go to jail anytime soon either.”

“I agree with ya there, big guy.” Jesse replied with a laugh, digging into his food. The group went silent for a bit so they could enjoy their meal in piece. Everyone sounded content with the food. Just as expected from someone like Olivia. Her cooking never ceased to put a smile on everyone’s faces.

Suddenly, the vibrations from Lukas’ phone rang out from where it sat on the table. Lukas picked it up and saw a text from Milo. He glanced over at Jesse and spoke up. “Milo’s here, Jesse. We gotta go.”

Jesse nodded and took one last bit before dumping his plate into the sink. “Alright, then. We’re off guys. Good luck on your first day, Olivia, Axel. And Petra, good luck with Jack and Nurm.”

“You can come with us, Petra. We’re taking the bus, and the pawn shop is right by the boutique.” Olivia said happily. Petra nodded in agreement and the trio watched Jesse and Lukas walk out of the apartment.

—

“I still think it’s stupid that I can’t do my goddamn job.” Ivor complained, tapping his fingers on the bar. “And that you wouldn’t let me wear a damn dress either.”

Soren turned to him, and gave him a glare. “Those dresses you wear are skin tight, Ivor! It’ll just fuck up your stomach even more!”

“Dresses are suppose to be skin tight, Soren!”

“You’re wearing dresses made for women. Women’s dresses aren’t skin tight dammit.”

Gabriel couldn’t help but overhear the argument and walked over as he cleaned a glass. “Couldn’t help but overhear you two old fools bickering. Mind if I give my two cents?”

“YES!” the two shouted back angrily. They didn’t want to hear it from Gabriel right at this moment. He’d just preach about how they shouldn’t bicker like this in public, and it was almost humiliating and degrading. They had a reputation to keep after all.

“Ivor, seriously– you’re going to end up getting yourself hurt! I’m looking after you!” Soren exclaimed.

“Whatever.” Ivor turned away from him, glaring at the tabletop.

“If I may suggest–” Ivor and Soren glared up at Gabriel who only glared back at them. “Why not find a substitute to fill your role here while you’re out of commission? What about that Milo fellow? He could fit the role quite nicely.”

“No, he’s not petite enough.” Ivor explained. “Sure, he’s fit enough– but people like petite figures.”

Soren gave a chuckle. “Ahaha, and you’re petite, my friend?? That’s hilarious!”

“More petite than Milo is!”

“Dear god, do you two ever shut up?” Gabriel asked. He reached beneath the counter and pulled out a bat with barbed wire around it. He held it over his shoulder as he set the glass down. “Tone it down, or I’ll make you tone it down.”

Ivor smirked at him. “Still got ol’ Lucille, eh? You’ve had that thing since we were kids.”

“She’s like a lucky charm to me. Helped me out as a kid, and helps me keep creeps away from my workers. They take one look at her and back the fuck off. Lucille is awesome.”

The trio turned to the door when they heard the bouncer outside welcome someone, and in popped the three people Ivor wanted to see– Milo, Jesse, and Lukas. As they walked in, Milo glanced around, admiring the place. It was just like any other pub/strip club he had seen– though he had to admit he hadn’t been to a lot. Being a police officer, one has to keep a good profile, but now that was ancient history. They walked over to Ivor and the others, greeting them and the like. Lukas and Jesse were the first to comment on Ivor wearing such casual clothes.

Ivor only rolled his eyes. “Yeah, this asshole wouldn’t let me wear anything more appropriate for this setting.”

“You. Have. Staples. In. Your. Stomach.” Soren said, each word he hit his hand against the tabletop. This resulted in a snicker from Jesse and Lukas.

“No matter. Blonde Guy!” Ivor exclaimed. Lukas just stared at him. He was shouting, even though he stood close to him. “I have a proposition for you! Would you like to make some money, and in turn make me some money as well?”

Lukas cocked his head and crossed his arms. “I’m listening …?” If it was a request from Ivor, he figured it was a life or death situation. Time to be on his toes for this. He could only think of the mission he was going to receive. Did he have to kill a bounty? Was there some sort of crime he had to take care of? Either way, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to be ready for this task.

“Now, this is a big responsibility, but I have a feeling you’re capable of handling yourself. You’re my only hope for this. I can’t trust someone like Jesse to do this.”

Jesse just glared at him. What kind of task was this that he couldn’t handle? And what made Ivor think Lukas could handle it alone? He saw how Lukas worked out in the field– and neither him or Lukas were good alone. It’d be too much pressure for either of them. Hopefully it was nothing on the field.

“Just spit it out, Ivor. I’m sure I can handle it.” Once again, Lukas was lying. He was positive he couldn’t handle it.

“Alright, Blonde Guy. Here’s my proposal. I’m crippled– badly. Take a look.” He lifted up his shit slightly so that Lukas, Milo, and Jesse could all get a good look. They all simultaneously cringed. Lukas felt his stomach twisting into knots. This had to be some form of punishment, but what counted as punishment by Ivor’s standards?

“To get to the bottom line, I want you to fill my role at the pole. Whaddya say?” Ivor reached his hand out, smirking at Lukas. “Blonde Guy, buddy ol’ pal? Think you can handle it?”

Lukas only stared on with big eyes, his arms falling to his sides. Jesse stood behind him, hiding his smirk behind his hand as Milo gave him a pat on the back.

“Well, look at you, Lukas! Ivor must see something in you if he’s asking you to do this!” Milo teased, adding a laugh.

“Uh, haha, no. Absolutely not.” Lukas said, his face flushing up fast. “I-I can’t do that. Can’t someone like Jesse or Milo do it? I’m definitely not cut out for something like this.”

“Oh,but you are, Blonde Guy!” Ivor poked Lukas’ belly. “You’ve got that petite frame about you! And I’ve seen the way you move on the battlefield. You’re fast! Flexible! You can do this!”

Lukas rubbed the back of his head as his face turned even redder. “I do appreciate the kind words, but …”

“Petite? Lukas? Psssh– he’s not petite!” Jesse said, holding back laughter. Lukas looked back at Jesse, and almost felt hurt by his words, but then he noticed something. The way Jesse was looking at him– it was all a trick! He was helping him deceive Ivor.

“Oh, yeah, yeah– I’ve been putting on a couple pounds.” Lukas tapped his clearly flatter than flat stomach. “So, yeah, I’m afraid I can’t do it. I apologize.”

Soren was tired of this. He got up from his seat and began on his way outside. Jesse glanced over at him confused. “Soren, where’re you going?”

“Smoke break.” Soren replied quickly. Jesse was confused– since when did Soren even smoke? He turned back to Ivor who wasn’t giving up. Gabriel still stood in between the mess and spoke up.

“Lukas.” Lukas glanced over at him, biting the inside of his lip. He felt trapped under everyone’s gaze.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. But, if you do, good money is coming yours and Ivor’s way. I promise you– I will keep you safe while you are here. No one will touch you, harm you, or have their way with you. You are in my pub, and it’s my rules. If anyone touches you,” he raised up his bat, offering Lukas a smile. “They get Lucille’d.”

Lukas actually gave Gabriel a smile after that. It almost calmed him down a bit. “Gabriel …” He turned back towards Ivor, then over to Jesse and Milo who bore confused expressions. They weren’t sure how to feel about this either.

“How long are you out of commission?” Lukas asked Ivor. “How long would I have to do this?”

“Only for a week. After that, I get my staples out and I should be as good as new.” Ivor explained. “Just as Gabriel said, you’re in good hands. Nothing bad will happen to you while you’re up there.”

Lukas had his misgivings for sure, and the last thing he wanted was to be up there, barely dressed and have people staring at him. Part of it just didn’t feel right. But, at the same time– it was extra money. Extra money was always a good thing. He turned to Ivor and nodded.

“Just for a week. And then I’m never doing it again.” Lukas said firmly.

“And you can stop whenever you want to, Lukas. Don’t let Ivor bully you around.” Gabriel insisted.

“I wasn’t bullying! I was being sincere!” Ivor exclaimed. “I’d get up there myself if I could!” he turned back to Lukas and gave him a smile. “Thank you, Lukas. You’re doing me a huge favor.”

“I have a question though,” Milo said, taking a seat at the bar. “Lukas and Jesse look like they weigh the same, and Jesse is only a little bit taller than Lukas. Why couldn’t he do it? He fits the description as well– and seems like it wouldn’t bother him as much.”

Jesse shrugged. “I gotta say– it seems kinda like fun. I heard it’s a great workout too.”

Ivor smirked. “Because I like to see Lukas squirm. Think of it as payback for getting me stabbed~”

Lukas groaned, “Gee, thanks …”

“Either way, there’s an outfit in that changing room back there.” Ivor said, pointing to a room close to the kitchen entryway. “There should be a uniform that’ll fit you perfectly.”

Lukas sighed and headed off towards the door. What had he gotten himself into? He just kept repeating the phrase ‘money’ in his head. He was doing this for more money– and to get Ivor off of his back, but mostly for money.

As the door closed and locked behind Lukas, Jesse took a seat in between Milo and Ivor and looked up at Gabriel. Gabriel raised a brow at the young man in front of him.

“You were really going to take Lukas’ place like that? That’s a bold move, kid.” Gabriel said, a smirk coming to his face. “Kinda reminds me of when Soren and Ivor were younger. It always seemed like they were going out of their way to help each other.”

Milo pushed off and out of his seat. “Speaking of Soren, I think I’m gonna join him. A smoke break sounds good right about now.”

Jesse glanced over at him. “You smoke?”

“Religiously. You just never saw me do it while I was working. Cops can’t really do that thing, and besides, Reg would have beheaded me if he caught a whiff of cigarette smoke.” Milo joked before heading outside.

Once he was gone, Jesse turned back to Ivor and Gabriel. “So you and Soren have been close ever since you were kids, huh?”

Ivor nodded. “Yep. Even still when no one’s around, he’s the sweetest guy. He acts cool, but he’s a complete softy. He completely broke down when he saw my injury the other night.” he smiled a bit and glanced down. “He’s a good man, despite everything we do.”

Gabriel nodded. “Agreed. We’re all good people– we just got sucked into the wrong jobs, I’d say. We got way in over our heads when we first arrived here, and it got too out of control.”

“You guys didn’t live in Sky City your whole lives? I always assumed you were brought up into these jobs– like some sort of family tradition.” Jesse said. He had no idea they were just like him and his friends.

“Oh yeah, we used to live out in the boonies. There was nothing out there, and we wanted to make more of our lives. So we came out here in hopes of making it big. Everything kinda fell flat when Gabriel started working at this old pub–”

Gabriel rose his hand at Ivor. “How about we don’t talk about that story … please.”

Ivor nodded. “Alright, alright, my bad. Sorry, Gabe, I forgot that story is a sensitive topic. Either way, I wanted to be some sort of scientist, believe it or not, Soren wanted to be a singer, Ellie wanted to be an engineer, what Magnus wanted to do is escaping me– and Gabe here? He wanted to join the force– become a police man.”

Jesse realized that even these guys had been aspirations, just like Jesse and his friends did. He always assumed that these were temporary jobs. Jobs that would hold them over until they could find something long term. But, now that he heard what Ivor had to say, he was beginning to wonder if they would fall into the same rut that these guys had to go through. To avoid talking about this any longer, he tried finding something else to talk about.

He smiled, chuckling slightly. “Soren as a singer? I can’t see it. Or you as a scientist.”

“Oh, no, Soren is a very talented singer. He would always sing as a kid, and has a beautiful voice. He’s also really big on jazz music.” Gabriel explained. “He even wrote his own songs when we were younger. Yep, he had big aspirations, that one.”

“And you can’t see me as a scientist? Jesse! I feel insulted!” Ivor said, gasping in sarcastic shock. “In school, chemistry was always my thing. I excelled in it, and I even had plans of going off to college for science!”

Jesse raised a brow. “So, what stopped you? What stopped you from becoming the world’s greatest scientist?”

Ivor looked at him and simply shrugged. “My friends, Jesse. My friends needed me, and I needed them. Ellegaard, Magnus, Gabe, and Soren? We’re a team– all of us. Even now, in our separate paths, we still stick together.”

Those words hit Jesse like a boulder. He could relate so well to what Ivor was saying. Jesse and his friends agreed that they would all stick together through thick and thin. Even now, as they were all branching off to go work in different places– they still felt like a big family– and it made Jesse really happy. He knew he could count on his friends. He knew they’d always have his back.

“Psst! Jesse!”

The trio at the bar glanced over to see Lukas popping his head out from beyond the door. He looked very nervous, and kept calling out to Jesse– motioning for him to come.. Jesse pardoned himself and walked over to where Lukas was. He found him still hiding behind the door.

“What’s up, Lukas? Do you need something?” Jesse asked. 

“Yeah, uh, can you come in here for a second?” Lukas asked, opening the door slightly so Jesse could come inside. He quickly shut the door behind him.

“So what did yoooooh shit–” Jesse was caught completely off guard when he saw Lukas standing in front of him in pink lingerie. Lukas covered himself up his his arms, unable to make eye contact with Jesse. Meanwhile, Jesse didn’t know whether to stare at the ground, at Lukas, or the lingerie. To him, seeing his best friend in such a … revealing way, felt so bizarre. His face grew hot as he began to blush.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Jesse …” Lukas said, shuffling about. “I know what Gabriel said, and it’s really reassuring, but … what do you think? Does it look bad? God– this is so embarrassing …”

Jesse swallowed a growing lump in his throat as he met Lukas’ eyes finally. “It doesn’t look bad– really! It looks uh …” he swirled his hand around, trying to come up with the right words. “I mean it looks– it looks–” Sexy? Hot? Kind of arousing?? None of the words seemed to fit at the moment. He took a moment to calm himself down. He had to stop stuttering and stop looking like a fool.

“You look about as good as anybody in lingerie would look. You look … attractive? I guess?? Fuck, no I meant–” Jesse kept telling himself to breath. It’s just Lukas. Your best friend you’ve known almost your whole life, who was now standing in front of you in revealing lingerie– nothing weird about that. “Look, if you’re so worried about this, then don’t do it. Ivor can shove it up his ass.”

“But, Jesse, we need money.” Lukas said worriedly. “Our first payment is coming up soon, and our paycheck is small. We don’t even know what Olivia and Axel will be making, much less if Petra’s even going to get herself a job.”

“Lukas …” Jesse said quietly. “We can find other ways to make money, really. If you’re uncomfortable, why do this to yourself?”

“I just don’t want to let you or the others down …” Lukas said just as quietly. “I need to start pulling my own weight around here. I broke down back at the hospital, and almost gave up on this job, when in reality– I need this job. We need this job. I can’t afford to chicken out now.”

Jesse sighed. “Well, in that case, I’ll be here to cheer you on, Lukas. Gabriel’s got you covered, and Ivor will take over in a week.”

“Thanks, Jesse.” Lukas gave him a smile. “I’d hug you, but, would that be weird? Do you want your best friend who’s wearing lingerie to hug you?”

“Do I look like I give a fuck? C’mere!” Jesse walked forward and embraced him in a hug, giving him a pat on the back. A second later he stepped back, and nodded. “Now, go show Ivor up! You got this!”

Lukas nodded and began walking out when he paused right at the door. Nervousness returned to him, and he froze. He could hear more and more people coming into the bar. It was so early in the day– who comes to a bar this early? He sighed shakily.

Jesse walked up next to him and put his hand on the doorknob. “Come on, Lukas. We’ll go together. I won’t let anyone say anything to you. It’s still early, so there shouldn’t be too many people. Alright?”

“Alright …”

They walked out, and just as Jesse had said before, there may have been a few people in the bar, but nothing too major. It would’ve been worse at night when a bunch of people were staring at Lukas. At least now he had the chance to get to know how to do this right. They walked over to Ivor and Gabriel who had been joined by Soren and Milo once again. Ivor glanced over and when he saw Lukas he gave a big smirk.

“Look at you, Blonde Guy! You really look the part in that getup!” His eyes went to the floor and noticed something amiss. “Uh, you’re not wearing the heels that go with it?”

Lukas groaned. “I don’t even understand how you WALK in those things, much less dance around in them!”

“But if you’re just in stockings, then you’ll slip and fall.” Soren added, glancing over at him.

“I’d rather slip and fall on my ass then break my ankles in stilettos that don’t even fit me.” Lukas said firmly, once again. “Look, I can stop doing this at any time.”

“Alright, alright, but don’t come whining to me when it’s slippery up there.” Ivor warned. “I’ll watch from one of the tables closer so I can give you some pointers. Jesse, you can come to to watch your boyfriend in progress.” And with that, Ivor stood up slowly, flinching at the pain that surged through his body. Eventually this would go away … eventually.

“He’s not my …” Jesse sighed angrily and brought his hand to his forehead. He shook his head and followed after Ivor and Lukas. “Agh, whatever …”

Ivor and Jesse took a seat at a nearby table as Lukas nervously walked up onto the catwalk. He shakily walked up to the pole and just stood there, staring at it as if it were intimidating him. He looked over to Ivor and shrugged, not exactly sure what to do next. He could feel stares from the other bar-goers on him, which only made him even more nervous. Metaphorically and physically, he felt naked as people watched on– watching his every move. What was he supposed to do? Could he live up to their’s and Ivor’s expectations? Would he embarrass Ivor? Would he embarrass himself? So many thoughts plagued Lukas’ mind.

Ivor stood up, raising his arm high in the air and called out loud to get everyone’s attention that was in the pub. “Attention, everyone, attention!” he yelled out. Once everyone’s eyes were on him, he gave a hand to Lukas. “We have a trainee up here, so don’t expect much from him for today’s show. He’s only learning so be nice to the kid.” As if Lukas wasn’t insecure enough, now Ivor had to announce to the entire pub that he was new at this. He sighed and put his hands on the pole, swallowing hard, feeling his hands already getting sweaty.

Ivor sat there and kept his eyes on Lukas. He wanted to see what he had in him before he jumped in to help. Best he got the hang of it before he said anything. That was how Ivor learned, and that was how Lukas was going to learn. Lukas closed his eyes and tried remembering that first day they arrived at Gabriel’s. He tried to remember what Ivor was doing when he was up here. Those were definitely imaged he wanted to get out of his mind, but he needed to focus. For an older man of all people, he was sure graceful when he was up there, but now, Lukas looked like a lost puppy trying to find its way in the world.

Slowly he began dancing around the pole. He placed his heel at the base of the pole and spun around, wrapping one leg around it as he did. Lukas felt his hands slipping and only attempted to hold on tighter as he felt himself slipping closer to the ground. He managed to keep one foot planted firmly on the ground as he kicked his other leg up. Losing the balance he had with two feet on the ground, he slipped under his weight and fell on his butt, grunting as he did . Ivor shook his head and sighed as he stood up, flinching as he did. Once he was up, he crossed his arms and told Lukas to stand up once again, which he did.

“You ever gone to a playground and they had one of those knock-off firemen poles that you could slide down?” Ivor asked, cocking his head. “You gotta tell me that you had one of those in the country where you lived.”

“Yeah? They had one at our school playground. Why …?” Lukas asked back, very confused at the question. It felt weird bringing up a playground in this situation. What if people thought he was underage, or he was younger than he really was? Lukas knew he looked young for his age, but that would be quite an uncomfortable topic to talk about with a bar goer.

“Ever gone down it or grab hold and swing yourself around it? What you’re doing here is pretty much like that.” Ivor explained. He’d demonstrate if he could, but with Soren around, he’d end up getting himself killed– by Soren’s hand. “You’re also probably slipping due to not wearing any shoes like an idiot. Be careful you don’t bust your leg or anything.”

“I’d bust my leg if I did wear those shoes.” Lukas rolled his eyes and faced the pole again, grabbing it at about chest height. He took a deep breath and went again, seeing what he could produce. For the time being, it was going a lot more smoothly than the first attempt. Jesse started on in awe– not sure if he should hop up there and give it a try– just so Lukas wouldn’t have to feel alone, at the very least.

“Who knows,” Ivor started, leaning towards Jesse, giving him a nudge. Jesse looked over to see Ivor smirking. “Perhaps Lukas will get really good at this. Maybe he’ll even give you private dances in the back~”

Jesse’s cheeks turned a reddish color as he pushed Ivor’s face away from him, turning away so Ivor couldn’t see. This only made the man burst into laughter. Lukas heard the laughter and turned over to look at them, and saw Jesse glance up at Lukas, only to glance away quickly. Lukas saw him blushing, which in turn made him do the same and ultimately mess up. He lost his balance and this time fell flat on his stomach, letting out an oof as he fell over.

Ivor once again stood up to show him how it was done. "Come on, Blonde Guy! Make confidence your bitch!" 

Meanwhile, back at the bar, Soren and Milo were talking about the mercenary position. He was to start his training as an apprentice and work alongside Jesse and Lukas. Understanding his position he nodded and brought up the other affiliates that he worked with. Soren was already one step ahead of him. He had heard about how Jesse and Lukas’ friends were starting up jobs with their affiliates, so in order for everyone to meet one another, what better way than to invite them all over to Gabriel’s?

As if on cue, the bouncer welcome a group of people outside, and in walked the people Soren had been accepting. Jesse glanced back and saw Ellegaard and Magnus walk in, accompanied by their roomates, Axel and Olivia. Jesse was about to wave them over when he forgot about something– Lukas. He turned back and was surprised to see Lukas was actually doing better, even Ivor was cheering him on and praising him, but he had to get his attention without freaking him out.

Following after Axel and Olivia, in came the Pawn Shop owners with Petra following closely behind them. Jack seemed to be explaining things to her, and Nurm would silently nod in agreement as they walked over towards Soren and the others.

Petra noticed her friends and gave them a hello as she approached them. Still no sign of Jesse and Lukas, she began looking around for them, and finally the thing Jesse had been worrying about happened. He saw Petra glance his way. She squinted her eyes and he watched as they widened significantly.

“Lukas??” she cried out in confusion. Is that Lukas??”

Lukas’ heart sank when he heard that voice, and once again he slipped, this time collapsing on his arm. He grunted in pain as he sat up, only to see his other roommates running over. He sat there, an embarrassed mess as they all made their way over. Now, all the attention was on Lukas. Jesse could almost feel the embarrassment radiating off of him. Soren was the first to look away, bringing the attention of his affiliates to Milo. Jesse was glad for that much at least, but even then, they had some explaining to do to their friends.

“Lukas … what are you wearing?” Axel asked, rubbing the back of his head. There was a look of confused bewilderment, with a twist of uncomfortableness thrown in there.“I mean, it looks good on you, but, no homo.”

“Why are you doing this, Lukas? This isn’t like you at all!” Olivia added, a very, very worried expression crossing her face. She was always the kind of person to worry over things like this.

“They didn’t force you to do this, did they?!” Petra asked, narrowing her eyes. Her voice sounded hurt and angry. She glanced over at Ivor who only gave her a glare back. “Is that Ivor? He’s your boss? I have a few words to say to him–”

Both Jesse and Ivor were about to speak when Lukas intervened. He jumped down off the the catwalk and stood there in front of his friends, holding himself to hide any unsavory, revealing parts of the lingerie. “Petra, don’t– I agreed to this. I’m doing it for Ivor’s sake.”

Both Jesse and Ivor glanced over, surprisingly shocked that Lukas was defending Ivor in this. Although one could hear in his voice that he was close to breaking, he didn’t falter. He looked at them and continued.

“Remember when we said Ivor was hurt a while back? Yeah, well, this is kind of his part time thing he does– and he can’t do it.” Lukas bit his lip and looked down, averting his eyes. “I was offered a split of the money he’d get doing this. Ivor would get some, and so would I. We need money for that upcoming payment …”

“But, Lukas, you shouldn’t have to do this …” Petra explained, stepping towards him. “Doing this for money? That’s beneath you! You’re a proud guy, and this is just … demeaning to you!”

“Petra’s right, Lukas … plus, this is really weird to see you like this, right Jesse?” Axel turned back to Jesse only to see him shrug. “Besides, we’ve all got jobs, including Petra. Jack and Nurm hired her, so you don’t have to do this weird shit anymore, got it?”

Olivia nodded, agreeing to what Axel had to say. “I appreciate what you were trying to do, Lukas, but it’s really not necessary. We can get the money– we don’t need you to do this for us. You working for Ivor and Soren is enough!”

“Hey, if the kid wants to do it, let him do it.” Ivor called over, glaring at the group. He had never officially met their roommates until just now, but from what he could hear– he didn’t like them one bit.

Petra glared over at him. “You stay out of this– this doesn’t concern you! We’re his roommates– his friends– his family!”

“Petra, seriously, stop!” Lukas yelled over her. Petra immediately quieted down and they all stared at Lukas. Jesse was the most shocked of all. Ever since starting this job, he had seen Lukas become a timid, second-guessing person, but it almost seemed like all that pride and confidence before was coming back. He gave a small smile.

Lukas sighed and then looked at his friends who bore shocked looks. “If you don’t want me to do this for the money, then at least let me do this for Ivor.” Lukas raised his hand over towards Ivor and gave a smile. “He gave Jesse and I a job, and he’s already made us into stronger people. He’s injured and unable to make money for himself, so this is the least I can do.”

Ivor gave a sarcastic smile and he brought both hands over his heart. “Blonde Guy … I’m … I’m touched …” he faked a snivel and pretended to cry, only for Petra to groan in defeat.

Olivia nodded. “If this is what you believe is right … then we won’t hold you back, Lukas.” she gave him a smile. “I think it’s sweet that you’re doing this for your boss!”

“Yeah, I mean, I’d do the same for Magnus–”

All of Axel’s friends glanced over at him, giving him terrified looks.

“You would?” Jesse asked, his shocked expression turning into a grin. “That’s a terrifying thought.”

“Axel pole dancing?” Lukas leaned back on the catwalk and brought his hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Jesus Christ … please, no.”

“No offense, big guy,” Petra turned to Axel and pat him on the back. “But, don’t do that. Ever. Please.”

Ivor chuckled, listening in on the conversation. “He couldn’t do it anyway. He’d need a petite figure, like Lukas, or yours truly–”

Lukas glanced over, raising a brow. “Petite? Me? Come on, Ivor, I’m not that small.”

“That’s exactly what I told him!” Jesse said with a laugh.

“I dunno, Lukas, you are pretty small.” Axel said, cracking a smile.

Lukas glared up at him, smirking a bit. “Yeah, compared to YOU.”

An eruption of laughter echoed out between the friends as they talked about the topic at hand, and before long, Lukas was back on the catwalk. He worked for hours to the point of near exhaustion. He had gotten significantly better, but even then, he still fumbled here and there. It was late by the time everyone was headed out, and once Lukas came out of the changing room, he approached Jesse. He looked very tired, but he had a smile on his face.

“You know, Jesse, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but … that was pretty fun.” Lukas explained. “It was almost like a workout. I think I may have overdone it though … my arms and legs are killing me.

Jesse smiled back at him. “Well, I’m just glad you weren’t phased earlier. I’m sorry that everyone had to see you like that– I wanted to do something, but …”

Lukas shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. It’s weird, though. I felt incredibly vulnerable up there– wearing that, and being in front of so many people and strangers, but … it also made me confident in a way? It’s strange.”

“I think I getcha. Just look at Ivor, he’s incredibly proud and confident of himself. Maybe he wasn’t always like that, though. Maybe he and Soren were just like us when they were younger.”

“You know, I’d like to think that. Not everyone starts out like that. You know, I think I could learn a lot from Ivor– in terms of confidence I mean.” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought I used to be bursting with confidence, but, after starting this job … it all just left. I want it to come back. I want to feel how Aiden and my old friends felt all the time.”

He glanced over at Jesse and saw a half smile, as if he didn’t want to be smiling. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring them up. We may have had our differences, but those guys made something in me come out.”

“There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance, Lukas. That’s what Aiden and the others have. You’re not arrogant. Not in the slightest.”

Lukas glanced over at Jesse and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. In a way, I’m glad I broke it off with them. I love being around you guys. You especially. Ever since hanging out with you guys, I’ve seen there’s more to life than winning and proving your strength, because sometimes, strength isn’t enough …”

The two went silent as Jesse stared at him, a bit somber now. With the deep topic at hand being dropped, the two caught up with their friends outside of the pub. Tomorrow, Lukas would continue the part time work for Ivor– so long as his body wasn’t killing him in the morning. However, Lukas couldn’t shake off the thought of his old friends. Had they given up when they didn’t get the mercenary job and went back home?

Or were they still in the city? Were they somewhere plotting revenge against Jesse and Lukas? It seemed like the thing they’d do, and it made Lukas very uneasy.

Lukas didn’t fall asleep easily that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly a filler chapter more than anything--   
> I meant for it to be a short chapter, and yet it turned into one of the longer chapters, haha! 
> 
> Also, the end of this chapter marks 124 pages!  
> I need a life :'DD 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this part!


	12. Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW; Being drugged and kidnapped 
> 
> Thought I'd put it here for anybody who wants to skip this chapter. TL;DR is in the end notes.

About a halfway through the week, Lukas was still covering for Ivor, and although Ivor was sure he felt fine-- he still had to get his staples removed before he could return. Therefore, Lukas practiced and practiced every night at Gabriel’s. The ragtag group of mercenaries had taken a break from actual missions while they sorted everything out with Milo, which was good, as it gave them all time to relax. Everything was falling into place now with their roommates as well. Olivia and Axel were getting their first paycheck soon, and Petra was able to land a really good job with Jack and Nurm, which Jesse had to admit, was a little unexpected. Things were finally starting to look up! 

As the week progressed, Lukas began catching on to the whole pole dancing thing. It was hard at first, and the morning after his first try at it, he didn't want to get out of bed from his arms and legs being so sore. However, as he worked harder and harder, he began to see progress. Even Ivor gave him praise! While he was nowhere as good as Ivor, he was on his way, and he was even getting tips from the bar goers. While Jesse’s roommates may disagree with what Lukas was doing, they had to admit that he was both good at it, and making them some decent money for the time being. Not to mention, Lukas was actually having fun doing it. 

Sure, he didn’t have to same sex appeal that Ivor did whenever he was up there, but just seeing Lukas go from being so timid up there to being so full of confidence was groundbreaking. As strange as it was to say, Jesse felt very proud of him. He was happy that he was able to do break out of his shell and actually have fun doing something he found to be so weird. Lukas had even brought it up earlier that he was sort of sad that his fill-in for Ivor was coming to an end. When they brought it up with Ivor, he had no issues with Lukas filling in for him sometimes. 

And that brings us to today. It was very late on a Friday night, and Gabriel’s bar was hopping-- more than usual. Gabriel knew that Fridays and Saturdays were popular and busy nights, and he warned Lukas that it’d be a full house, but even still, he had no trouble getting up there and working the pole. Jesse and Ivor took their usual seats by the table, and watched Lukas at work. He was almost flawless. He barely slipped anymore, and when he did, he was fast to pick himself up again as if nothing happened-- and the bar goers loved him. 

Ivor glanced over at Jesse who had a smile on his face as he watched Lukas. He could tell he was also proud of him, just as Ivor was. He gave a smirk as he took a sip of the drink he had. “Lukas has been getting very good at this. Never thought he had it in him.” 

Jesse shook his head. “Me neither. He’s really surprised me these past couple of days. He was so unsure of himself that first day, but now looking at him-- he’s really come out of his shell.” he couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as he sat back in his chair. “It’s strange to say, but I’m proud of him.” 

Ivor nodded as he sat the drink back down. “It’s been quite an improvement. You never really seemed all that phased by what we did. Sure getting kidnapped by Cassie, and your first shooting was a bit of an eye opener-- but you always seemed sort of level headed. Run in the family?” 

Jesse turned back to him, and his smile turned into a frown. “Well, actually … that day when I killed that man … I broke down as soon as we got home. Lukas was there to pull me out of that, thankfully.” he shuddered thinking back to those events. “And, the whole thing with Cassie is something I’d like to completely forget about. If Milo and Reginald hadn’t been there to save us, my brains would've been blown to smithereens.” 

Ivor noticed it was a touchy subject and backed off. “Jesus, I’m sorry, Jesse. I always sort of guessed you were always playing it cool. At least, that's what your friends and Lukas have been saying.” 

Jesse rubbed the back of his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed from his friends’ praise. “I guess so? It’s always been like that-- ever since we were all kids. I try not to let the situation stress me out, and I always wanna see all the sides of a problem before facing it head on.” he looked over at Ivor with a confident expression. “I don’t want any of my friends or allies to fall, so I really do have to keep an eye out. I’d rather it be me than them in all situations.” 

“Well, that is a very good way of looking at things Jesse. But, it’s also a fast way of getting yourself killed.” he raised his pointer finger and gave Jesse a wink. “Lesson number one, Jesse, you never give your killers or pursuers a second chance. In this city, you need to be on your toes-- and if they’re left to roam free and given another chance, they will come after you. Soren and I know that from experience.” 

Jesse nodded, taking what Ivor said into mind. It’s just as Cassie said before, in this city, it’s kill or be killed. Jesse glanced down and clenched his fists in his lap. It didn’t matter who said it, her or Ivor, they were both right. Perhaps Jesse needed to stop being so merciful? But, to him, it was almost a way of life at this point. How could he go back on something that's just so instant? 

Ivor let Jesse think for a moment as he glanced down at his phone. It was eleven at night, which meant it was time for Lukas to break for the night. He stood up and clapped, getting the attention of Lukas. He stopped and stared at his boss. 

“Good job tonight, Lukas! You’ve been doing really well!” Ivor said happily, placing his hands on his hips and giving him a nod. “Soon, you’ll be as good as me!” 

“You really think so?” Lukas gave him a smile back and jumped off the catwalk carefully. Jesse noticed him in front of him and stood up, congratulating him on a good night. 

“I do think so! Anyhow, that should be it for the night. You can go get dressed whenever you’d like.” With that, Ivor turned away to head back towards the bar. He found Soren and sat beside him, attempting to give him a subtle kiss on the cheek. 

Lukas and Jesse walked over as well and took their seats a ways away from their bosses. Gabriel turned towards them and gave them a nod as he cleaned one of the glasses. Typical bartender stereotypes. 

“Hey, Gabriel-- can Jesse and I get some water? I’m parched.” Jesse nodded in agreement, realizing he hadn’t had anything to drink in a while. Gabriel gave a sublte nod and turned away to go into the kitchen behind the counter. 

Jesse turned to Lukas and gave him a smile. “You’ve been doing really great lately, Lukas. It’s almost like you have a newfound confidence neither of us knew about before.” 

“Yeah, it’s great, Jesse! You know, I just block the people out mostly. Maybe it’d be better if I tried alluring them or acting lewd, but for right now, I’m making money and that's what matters.” 

Ivor must’ve overheard them, because his voice echoed over top of Lukas’. “Sex appeal is what you have to have going for you if you wanna work the pole, Blonde Guy!” That statement was followed by laughter from him and Soren. Lukas simply smiled and rolled his eyes. 

As they waited for Gabriel, the two talked for a bit, talking about what their future missions could consist of, or how Lukas could improve his confidence further. He was on a roll! Might as well keep it that way! Lukas was having a great time being with his bosses and best friend, but suddenly he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He squinted and looked at a nearby booth. His eyes widened in fear as he tapped Jesse to get his attention. 

“Jesse … don’t look now, but … I think we may have trouble …” Lukas said shakily. He warned Jesse not to be too obvious with his peeking. Following Lukas’ instructions, Jesse peered back sneakily, and what he saw made him shudder. 

Sitting in the booth was a clearly disgusted Aiden glaring back at Jesse and Lukas. Sitting with him at the booth was Gill and Maya who seemed to be glaring their way as well as they talked about this and that. Lukas hadn’t noticed them while he was up on the catwalk, so how long had they been here? 

“God, do you think they saw me up there …?” Lukas asked, feeling a growing lump in his throat. “Why the Hell are they here …?” 

Jesse shook his head and turned away from Aiden. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it can’t be good. Maybe you should go get changed and we can head out?” 

Lukas nodded and he headed off for the back room where he could change in private. As Lukas made his way off, Jesse peered over at Aiden’s group sneakily, hoping he wouldn’t get their attention. He saw Aiden simply shake his head, say something to his group, and they were off and out of the bar. Jesse almost gave a sigh of relief. At least they were leaving. It didn’t matter if they thought ill of Lukas anyway-- at least they were going. Gabriel returned with the waters and Jesse made sure to hold Lukas’ glass for him. 

\--- 

Lukas closed the door behind him as he faced the dim changing room. He found his usual clothes folded neatly on a nearby chair. The room was relatively small, much like the rooms where private dances were given. There were a couple stalls within the room, several mirrors, and a closet and clothes chest full of outfits and lingerie, as well as a laundry chute that lead to what Lukas assumed to be the cellar of the bar. To top everything off, there was another door in the room that lead out into the alleyway, which he assumed was for the workers if they wanted to smoke or leave discreetly. Either way, he turned back to his clothes and picked up his shirt. 

He turned back towards the mirror and looked over himself in the lingerie one last time. He hadn’t realized how revealing it truly was, and it made him shudder a bit. Did his friends really think differently of him, now that he was doing this? He could only begin to think what Aiden and the others thought as well. But, to him, it didn’t matter. In the beginning it was for money, but now, he was doing this for Ivor. Ivor was the one who gave him and Jesse a job, so he had to repay him somehow. He gave smile as he went to undo one of the straps on his top. 

Suddenly, without warning, Lukas felt a sharp prick on his neck. He let out a gasp as he reached for his neck, wondering what had happened. He began to feel nauseous and his body began to go numb. He tried calling out for help, but he couldn’t produce the words. What was happening to him? What was that pricking sensation? And why was his body going limp so suddenly? What was going on? He fell to his knees, and then fell to his side, curling up as he glanced around the darkness, thinking of what could've happened. 

He called out, but his voice was muffled by the murmur of people in the bar. He was quiet, and he could feel his lips tingling. He was losing sensation everywhere, and he could feel his eyes closing. “Jes ... se …” he called out quietly. Then he saw it-- a figure emerging from the shadows. He lay there in complete shock as the figure of Aiden holding a syringe came into view. It was all coming together now. 

Lukas felt like he would throw up. Did Aiden drug him? He tried getting up, but whatever Aiden used on him was affecting him almost immediately. His eyes fell closed and he could hear Aiden whispering something quietly before he felt a sharp pain at his head, knocking him unconcious.

“So this is what you’ve been doing with your life, Lukas? Sickening.” Aiden scoffed before kicking Lukas in the head. He turned back to Maya and Gill and nodded which they did in return. They ran to Lukas’ body and scooped his limp body up, making their way towards the back alleyway where they had snuck in. Carefully, Aiden opened the loud, creaky door, cringing as it opened. Once Maya and Gill were outside with Lukas, Aiden let the door slam shut. 

Meanwhile, out in the bar, Jesse thought he had heard someting. Almost like a loud bang, but he couldn’t be sure where it had come from. Fearing that Aiden and his crew may have been up to something outside, and fearing for the safety of Lukas, he got up and headed for the back room. He reached the door and knocked on it. 

“Lukas? I thought I heard something, can I come in?” There was no response.. “Lukas? Hey, Lukas!” Still no response. 

Ok, something was off for sure. How come Lukas wasn’t answering? He opened the door finally, glad that he hadn’t locked it, but found him nowhere to be seen inside. Jesse’s heart began racing as he checked the room, seeing no sign of Lukas anywhere. Finally, he found the chair where Lukas’ clothes were piled neatly, except for his shirt which had been dropped to the floor several feet away. It wasn’t like Lukas to just up and leave-- especially with nothing on, and he didn’t see him come back into the pub. He then noticed the door to the back alley cracked open. Knowing Lukas had to be on the other side, he shot towards it, flinging the door open. 

“Lukas!?” he cried, still seeing nothing on the other side. This was so strange! Where could he have gone? 

As if on cue, Jesse heard the sound of tires squealing in the dark alleyway. Towards the main road, Jesse saw a small car, and within the back seat was Lukas, but he wasn’t moving a bit! In a flash of anger, Jesse darted towards the car, in an attempt to get Lukas before the car could take off, but before he was even halfway there, the care took off into the streets of Sky City. Jesse reached the end of the alleyway, but didn’t see the car anymore. 

“LUKAS!” he cried out, clenching his fists. Who could’ve taken him? Was it TorqueDawg or one of his goons? He couldn’t understand. Who would do this? 

In his rage, he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. He walked over to what he spotted and noticed something on the ground. It was a pin. He picked it up and squinted, glancing at it and trying to figure out what it was. Then it clicked. This was a pin of a Blaze Rod. Jesse shakily clenched his hand and stared off into the busy streets. He knew who took Lukas. 

Aiden was back and wanted revenge, but Jesse wasn’t going to let him get away with this. Not by a longshot. Seething with anger, he ran back into the pub to rally up Soren and Ivor. Aiden was going to pay. If anything happened to Lukas, Aiden was dead. 

\--- 

Lukas felt sick. He felt as if his entire body was numb. Barely able to move, and his eyes only opening slightly he glanced around at his surroundings. He was completely out of it. He had no idea where we was, and moving even a little bit hurt. It hurt to open his eyes and to even move his head, but somehow, he could make out the words that were being said. 

“I’m not sure about this, Aiden … this is a bit extreme.” 

“Yeah, I agree with Maya-- sure, we should get revenge, but doing this to Lukas? It’s a bit drastic, don’t you think?” 

“Are you fucking kidding me? Lukas stole this opportunity from us! We deserved that job! Now we’re struggling to get by because he and Jesse took what was rightfully ours!” 

Lukas bore his teeth as he cringed and tried to move to get a better view, but to no avail, he was just too out of it. He could always try talking. 

“Ai … den?” he choked out, unable to say much. “Why… arey … doing this …” 

Aiden glared down at the barely conscious Lukas with a disgusted look on his face. He approached him as Maya and Gill stood behind him, simply glancing at one another, wondering if this was the best course of action. Aiden knelt in front of Lukas, giving him a crooked smile. He gave him a pat on the side, only to feel Lukas shudder beneath his touch. 

“Well, looks like you’re up.” he said, the smile never fading. “And no one is coming to get you.” 

“Why …” Lukas repeated again weakly. He looked up at Aiden, forcing an angry look. “You won’t … get away with …” that was as much as he could muster before going limp again.

Aiden only chuckled. “He’s asking ‘why’ guys! Can you believe him!? As if he doesn’t know!” he got closer to Lukas’ face, only to see him flinch away. He smirked even bigger. “This is payback, Lukas. For taking everything from us.” 

His smile turned into an angry scowl as he screamed at the top of his lungs. “THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FUCK WITH ME, LUKAS!” he stood up, and backed away. “We are barely scraping by because of you and Jesse! That job was meant for us! We were suppose to be the ones making it in the city! Not you!” 

“Lukas, chill out!” Maya yelled back at him. She was only met with a slap to the face from Aiden. Gill caught her and glared at Aiden in confusion. 

“Are you seriously thinking we should lighten up on him, Maya? After what he’s done to us?! Unbelievable!” he turned back to Lukas and crossed his arms, glaring over Lukas’ body. He scoffed again in disgust. 

“You’re disgusting, Lukas. I never would’ve thought I’d see you in a getup like that. Even after you take our job, you’re still looking for even more money? By prostitution? You make me fucking sick.” 

“I did it … for Iv …” Lukas tried sitting up, but his body was just too limp. He felt his mouth go numb again, and producing any sounds was becoming increasingly difficult for him. He lay there, only hoping Aiden could understand him. He was furious with his ex friend, but due to his limp state, there wasn’t much he could do to prove it. 

Completely ignoring Lukas, Aiden shrugged and reached for the syringe on the table in the center of the darkened room. He faced towards Lukas, who only glanced up at him with half lidded, terrified eyes. He was talking too much, and therefore he needed another dose. 

“Seeing how you turned to prostitution, perhaps we could pawn you off to one of TorqueDawg’s goons. Those sick fucks would pay a huge amount of cash for your body.” he smirked evilly again as he approached Lukas. “Seeing how this is the life you chose, it only seems fitting that his goons are the ones to fuck your brains out. I think they’d find you appealing, for sure.” 

Lukas cringed as he walked closer, hearing those words over and over again in his head. He struggled as much as he could, repeating ‘no’ over and over, even if it was quiet. He was terrified. What was going to happen? Was he going to be shipped off to TorqueDawg and used in horrendous acts? How did this all go so south? He just wanted to be with his friends and Jesse again. Just as he was sure he felt the needle prick him again, there was a loud screeching noise outside. Aiden stepped back away from Lukas, and he, Maya, and Gill all stared at the door in horror. 

“Quick, grab the weapons!”Aiden commanded. But, it was too late, people were bashing in the door. Maya and Gill stood there in shock as Soren and Ivor made their appearance, and in front of them, a very, very pissed Jesse. 

In a fit of confussion and terror, Maya and Gill pushed through Jesse and the others, fleeing. Jesse didn’t care about them, though. They weren’t the ones he was after. He was in hot pursuit of Aiden. He glared at him, holding his gun in his hand as he approached Aiden. Ivor was about to take aim and finish Aiden off himself, but Soren rose an arm and shook his head. This was Jesse’s fight. And by the looks of it, it’d be an easy fight too. 

Aiden stood there shaking. He didn’t have a weapon at his disposal, and the nearest one was in a box in the corner of the room. His horror turned into anger, and he yelled out in frustration at Jesse. 

“You’re here again! You always have to ruin everything, Jesse!” he yelled out, running towards him. “JUST LET ME WIN!” 

Jesse’s eyes widened as he saw him running at him. He took hold of the gun and fought to get it out of Jesse’s grasp, struggling and pulling hard to take control of it. They both wanted each other dead, and Jesse wasn’t about to give up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a barely conscious Lukas, laying up against the wall, and that was enough strength he needed. He brought his leg up and kicked Aiden away, immobilizing him for a moment. Jesse took aim, and pulled the trigger, shooting Aiden in the arm. A pained cry echoed out as he screamed, and this was Jesse’s opportunity! 

Jesse took it and charged forward, pinning Aiden up against the wall with the gun pointed at his neck. He had clearly won. His shaky hand held the gun at Aiden’s skin, ready to pull the trigger. He stared angrily, a burning hatred in his eyes, at Aiden. 

Aiden had begun crying and began begging for mercy. He complained about the pain, and began apologizing. He apologized for what he did to Lukas, and for exacting revenge. His cries turned into screams and yells, begging to be spared. Jesse only pinned him against the wall harder. He was furious, and Aiden didn’t deserve to live after tonight. That’s what Jesse kept telling himself, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t bring himself to shoot. 

“Please …” Aiden sniveled. “Let me go … I promise I’ll leave you alone … just don’t kill me!” his yelps turned to sobs again as he clenched his wounded arm. “I don’t wanna die … I don’t … wanna die …” 

Jesse lowered the gun, but kept him pinned there. He grew closer to his face, so that they were staring at each other, eye to eye. One could see the fear in Aiden’s eyes, and one could see the rage in Jesse’s eyes. He spoke to Aiden in a very low, serious, and angry tone. 

“If I ever see you near Lukas, my bosses, or any of our friends … I swear to fucking God, Aiden, I will kill you on the spot!” He slammed him against the wall hard. “Do you hear me?!” 

Aiden swore he understood, and pleaded for him to let him go. Jesse let go, throwing Aiden’s pathetic body to the ground as he tried getting up to run away, only to be tripped and threatened once again by Soren and Ivor. With that, he took off, hopefully to never be seen again. 

Ivor turned back to Jesse, a look of anger in his eyes. “Why did you let him go, Jesse!? Do you not remember our talk from earlier?! Now he’s going to come ba--” Soren rose his arm in front of Ivor to shush him and shook his head. Ivor went quiet as he realized Jesse was completely ignoring him, and his full attention was on Lukas now. 

Jesse kneeled before Lukas, helping him to sit up. He leaned Lukas back against the wall, and saw his half conscious state. Lukas kept saying Jesse’s name over and over again, and it was as if that was all he knew how to say. Jesse brought his hands to either side of Lukas’ face, pushing the stray strands of hair from his forehead. He looked exhausted and out of it, and it made Jesse’s entire chest ache with sadness. What the hell did Aiden do to him? 

“Lukas … are you okay? Did Aiden hurt you …?” his voice was just as shaky as his hands. As he spoke, one could hear the lump caught in his throat. He felt as if he were going to cry. “What happened to you ...?” 

Lukas could feel some feeling returning to him, and while he still felt like he would be sick, he could feel the numbness in his mouth leaving. He looked at Jesse, tears welling up in his eyes. “I just … wanna go home …” 

“Oh, Lukas …” Jesse said, tearing up. He embraced Lukas in a hug, burying his head into Lukas’ shoulder. Lukas didn’t hug back, but the embrace felt nice all the same. Lukas closed his eyes and felt as if he could fall asleep right then and there. When Jesse parted, he stood up, grasping Lukas’ hands. 

“Can you stand up …?” Jesse asked.

He watched as Lukas struggled to stand, and upon seeing that he was having a difficult time, he offered a shoulder to him. He figured he’d be doing most of the walking for him, but that was ok with him. He looked to Ivor and Soren with pleading eyes. They took that as a hint to lend a hand. Soren came over and offered the other shoulder to Lukas, and Ivor held open both the building door and the car door for the two to get situated. 

The entire ride back to Gabriel’s, everyone was quiet. No one talked, and Jesse let Lukas relax in the back seat. At one point he saw Lukas shaking, so he took off his long sleeved shirt he usually wore with his t shirt, wrapping it around Lukas. The blonde accepted the gift and relaxed his head against Jesse’s shoulder. Aiden had taken Lukas well out of town, so it was shocking Ivor and Soren were able to track him so fast. The only good thing about the long ride back was that Lukas was finally able to get some feeling back in his body. 

\--- 

Upon arriving at Gabriel’s, Lukas was able to walk again. The drug that Aiden had given him must’ve been wavering off, but that did not excuse the fact that Lukas felt disgusted having something like that in his body. Was he going to get sick? Would he get hurt by having that in his body? He hoped the side effects wouldn’t linger, and that there wouldn’t be any dire consequences. Jesse offered to help Lukas, but he only shook his head-- stating that he was fine.

The four walked into the bar and saw it empty. Gabriel must’ve closed up early when they went off, and to prove that fact further, the group saw a very clearly upset Gabriel running over towards them. He looked down at Lukas, afraid to talk out of fear that he would despise him. He grabbed the blonde’s hands shakily. 

“Lukas, I am so, so sorry that that happened to you … even after my speal I gave you about being safe under my care …” he glanced down, still holding Lukas’ smaller hands in his. “This never should’ve happened, and if that Aiden ever shows his face around here again, I will put an end to him! I swear by it!” 

Lukas nodded. “Thanks, Gabriel ... “ he glanced up at him, straining a smile. “You don’t need to worry about it … it’s not like you could’ve seen it coming. It was an accident, and none of you could have predicted it …” 

Gabriel brought the tinier man into a hug, being careful not to hurt him. He had received a text from Ivor saying he suspected Aiden of drugging Lukas. Not knowing what was wrong with him, he was careful-- and hoped that Lukas would be okay with accepting a hug. Lukas slowly brought his hands up and wrapped them around Gabriel’s back, returning the hug. 

“Next time, Lukas, I will protect you. Next time, your pursuer won’t be so lucky.” 

“It’s ok, Gabriel …” he parted from the hug and looked up at him. “But, for right now … I just want to get changed and go home …” 

“Yes, yes, of course …” he rose an arm towards the back room. “Please, I don’t want to keep you two any longer.” 

Lukas headed off, and turned back towards Jesse to find that he was following him. He didn’t want to show it, but he didn’t want to be alone in that room again. He was glad to have Jesse with him. 

“Make sure you lock and check the room this time!” Ivor called out. Jesse and Lukas both flinched at his words. They shouldn’t have to check a changing room to make sure they’re safe. Nonetheless, they made it there and locked the door behind them. Jesse flickered on the lightswitch which illuminated the room. He check every crevice and dark spot, as well as the door to the alleyway. It was locked, and the room was secure. 

Lukas grabbed the shirt that had fallen to the ground and lay it with his other clothes. He began changing, removing the top first before making his way to his lower regions. He stopped and noticed Jesse staring at him, out of concern and horror at what just happened, granted, but it was still embarrassing. Lukas felt his face grow hot as he looked up at him. “Uh, Jesse …?” he waved his hand for him to turn around and reality snapped back into Jesse’s eyes. 

“Oh! Right, sorry …” he turned away and crossed his arms as he waited for Lukas to change. He kept his eye on the back door at all times. Every little crack or creak he heard had him on edge after what happened. This is something that shouldn’t have happened to him, and he hated it. After moment, he felt Lukas poke his back, to which he was given the ok to turn around. Lukas was in his usual coat and scarf, and you would’ve never thought that something like that happened to him. They stared at each other for a long time before hugging once again. 

“Lukas, can you tell me if Aiden did anything to you …?” he asked quietly. It wasn’t his right to know, by any means, but he couldn’t get the image of Lukas on the floor out of his mind. He shuddered to think of what could’ve happened before he showed up. Lukas parted and stayed quiet, not sure how to say it. 

Jesse gulped and grew ever tense at how quiet he was. He had all sorts of ideas in his head, but no matter how he said them, it’d result in something he wasn’t prepared for. He glanced down and sighed. “He didn’t … like, rape you or anything, did he …?” Jesse felt awful even mentioning that topic, but if Aiden did that to Lukas, Jesse was certain he was about to go on a manhunt. 

Lukas glanced up with wide eyes and shook his head fast. “No, of course not! It wasn’t anything like that …” He heard Jesse sigh in relief, wich made it all the more harder to tell him. They both knew Aiden was a sick fuck, but he wasn’t that messed up to do something like that, at least. Lukas sighed heavily and bit the inside of his lip as he talked. 

“He … drugged me, Jesse …” he shook his head. “I was standing here one minute, and then the next I felt a sharp pain in my neck … and then I was out cold on the ground …” He saw Jesse clamber back, bringing his hand up to his forehead to push away his bangs. He shook his head at Lukas, as if he were hoping he was lying. Lukas felt like crawling into a small hole and dying. 

“He … drugged you …?” he shook his head in disbelief and looked away, holding back tears. “I should’ve killed him. I should’ve fucking killed him …” he turned back to Lukas, walking closer and holding him by the arms. “Do you feel alright? We should probably get you to the hospital …” 

Lukas shook his head back. “If we go to the hospital, Isa will find us … it’s not worth putting you and everyone else at risk …” 

“But, Lukas … you could be really hurt from this …” 

“I can barely feel it at all, though, Jesse. I think the effects were only temporary …” 

Jesse brought a hand up to Lukas’ face, as even more tears threatened to fall. “You are worth the risk, Lukas. I don’t want to lose you …” 

“Jesse …” 

Before they could continue, there was a knocking on the bar-side door, making the two of them jump. Upon hearing Ivor’s voice to hurry up, Jesse pulled himself together and Lukas told Jesse once again that he’d be fine. Without a moment to spare, the two left the room and hurried outside to find Ivor and Soren waiting. The two were given yet another heartfelt apology from Gabriel, to which they accepted and told him everything was fine. 

But everything wasn’t fine. Jesse hated to think of what would’ve happened to Lukas if they hadn’t shown up when they did. Nonetheless, they began their way home, and once again, the car ride was a quiet one. 

\---

Jesse opened the door to their penthouse, and was relieved to see the lights all turned off. He could only imagine that the others had to turn in early for the night for their jobs. Lukas followed Jesse inside, glad to finally be home. Jesse locked the door behind him, and the two stood there in the darkness for a bit. Lukas sighed shakily, holdhing himself. 

“I feel fucking gross …” he said quietly. “I don’t feel the drug anymore, but I have this really gross feeling ... “ 

Jesse stepped close to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you take a shower and go right to bed? I’ll probably be heading in soon too …” 

“Yeah, alright …” Lukas nodded and headed off towards the bathroom. Once the shower was on, Jesse went into his room to change into something for comfy for sleeping. Realizing Lukas never grabbed any clothes for himself, he walked into his room and grabbed him an old t-shirt and some pajama bottoms, walking into the bathroom and placing them on the toilet for him. He then walked back into his own room to wait and make sure Lukas was good for bed. 

After a few minutes of waiting in the darkness, he heard the door to his room creak open and saw the silhouette of Lukas standing there. Asking if he could come in, he closed the door behind him and sat next to Jesse on the bed. They sat there quietly, not talking for a while. There wasn’t much left to say that hadn’t been said already. Lukas looked over at Jesse’s shadow.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Lukas asked. He saw Jesse’s figure nod. “You seemed really upset back at the building with Aiden … were you really going to kill him?” 

“I thought I was … I had every intention of doing it … but I couldn’t bring myself to. As awful as he is, he’s still human, and it just didn’t feel right …” 

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right …” 

Jesse turned towards Lukas. “But, for what he did to you, I’ll never forgive him … and I will make him pay for doing that too.” 

He waited again before continuing, but when he did, he almost sounded hurt. “And what do you mean by ‘seemed upset’? I was really upset! You could’ve died! I could’ve lost you!” 

“Yeah, but you seemed REALLY upset. Like, more upset than usual. I’ve never seen you so angry that you were ready to kill someone … it was honestly really terrifying.” 

Jesse stood up and walked away from the bed. He walked over to his dresser and looked into the mirror, not that he could see himself or anything. He felt his face growing hot, with a mix of anger, sadness, and embarrassment. Anger for Aiden, sadness for what happened to Lukas, and embarrassment for what he was thinking. 

“You’re my best friend, Lukas. Of course I’d be upset …” he sighed. “I wasn’t thinking clearly, and when I saw that it was Aiden, I couldn’t let him get away with this … I’d hate to think of what could’ve happened to you if we hadn’t shown up …” 

Lukas paused for a moment, considering whether or not he should tell Jesse what he was planning. He sighed. “He was … going to pawn me off to one of TorqueDawg’s goons …” He saw Jesse’s head rise, but never turned back towards him. “He wanted to get revenge and money, so he was about to pawn me off like a fucking … sex slave …” Lukas began shaking and tucked his legs in, burying his head in them. “God …why would he do this …? We were once friends ...” 

“What kind of sick fuck does this …” Jesse questioned, a strain in his voice. “I promise Lukas … I won’t ever let him come near you again.” 

“Jesse?” Lukas lifted his head from his knees. “How come you try so hard …? It’s not for yourself …” 

“You’re right, it isn’t for myself. I’m doing this for you all-- I’m doing all of this for you.” Jesse explained. His cheeks were growing hot again. 

“Why, though …? It seems you try extra hard for me … how come?” 

Jesse sighed, slightly aggravated and turned to face Lukas. He was glad Lukas couldn’t see him, because he looked like a tomato-- he was sure of it. “Because I really care about you, Lukas. It’s because I like … you …” 

Lukas looked up at him, blinking in surprise. “Really …?” 

“God …” Jesse pushed his back against the dresser, shaking his head in disbelief. Did he really just say that out loud? How stupid was he … and saying it like that? He could already feel Lukas’ stares on him. “Yeah … really … I’m sorry.” 

Lukas felt a small smile crossing his face as he chuckled slightly. “For what?” 

Jesse just went quiet and said nothing, but when he heard Lukas tap the bed next to him, Jesse sighed and sat beside him. He couldn’t see, but Lukas had a smile on his face, and he could feel his own cheeks growing hot. It felt nice hearing Jesse’s proclamation, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure how to react. But, since he did put his feelings up on the table, might as well let him know how he feels too. 

“It’s funny you say that, Jesse … because I feel the same way …” he chuckled again, rubbing the back of his neck. This was embarrassing. 

Jesse looked over, his own smile growing. “Really? How long …?” 

Lukas closed his eyes to think. “For a while now. I had thought about the idea of us dating before we came to Sky City … but I only realized how I felt the day we were kidnapped by Cassie.” he turned towards Jesse. “I know everything is really confusing and difficult right now, but, we can figure it out, ok?” 

Jesse nodded. “I’d like that …” he moved closer to Lukas, and saw him face his way. Although he couldn’t see him very well in the darkness, he could tell they were facing one another. Jesse closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Lukas’ face, trying to find his own in the darkness. Once they did, they locked in a kiss. 

Lukas almost felt as if a burden had been lifted. Sure, everything that had happened today was insane, and it almost felt like none of it was real. He hated what had happened today, and by default, he almost hated himself for letting it happen. But, there was a silver lining. Jesse. Jesse was that silver lining. He was glad to have him. 

Jesse parted from the kiss and pulled Lukas into a hug, rubbing his back soothingly. Lukas rested his face against Jesse’s shoulder, feeling comfortable and safe in his arms. Considering everything that had happened that day, it was a wonderful feeling. 

“I’m sorry about everything that happened today Lukas …” Jesse said quietly. “The city may be too big for us to handle, but, we’ll tackle it together. Sound good?” he felt Lukas nod while still having his head buried. Once they parted from the hug, Lukas looked away shyly. 

“Do you, uh, wanna stay in here tonight?” he sighed, adding a nervous chuckle. “I’m still a little bit shaken up after what happened today …” It wasn’t all a lie, but right now, he wanted to be with Jesse. Jesse nodded with a smile. He pushed up onto the bed and laid down on one of the sides of the bed. Lukas crawled up next to him and lay there, staring at Jesse as he looked up at the ceiling. 

“Hey, Jesse?” 

Jesse turned to face him. “Yeah?” 

Lukas blushed a bit and felt content for once. “Is it weird for your best friend to say he loves you?”

Jesse smiled back and pulled Lukas in close. Lukas wrapped his arms around Jesse’s body, finding a certain warmth he never wanted to let go of. 

“It’s not weird at all. Because, I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TL;DR - Lukas becomes better at pole dancing, ends up getting drugged and kidnapped by Aiden, and is ultimately saved by Jesse, Soren and Ivor. Jesse doesn't kill Aiden, but instead wounds him and let's him go. Jesse and Lukas go home for the night, and revelations about what Aiden had in store are announced, as well as Jesse and Lukas' feelings for one another. They go to bed happily, considering the events that took place earlier that day. 
> 
> As I say in every chapter that I write, this one hurt me a lot to write -w-   
> This was also a chapter I had been wanting to write for a while! So I hope you all enjoyed it!


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